Gods Among Men
by Death Can't Be Trusted
Summary: After the new threat, everyone thought that the world was safe for years to come. But then a group of Holy Priests kidnapped two of the Signers, and a certain pharaoh. When they escape, its up to the Signers and 3 Gods to bring down this new unholy evil
1. The Holy Priests

Death: This is my first crack at a crossover, let alone a Yugioh and a Yugioh 5Ds fanfic. I am more familiar of Yugioh the original, but Yugioh 5Ds is hell of a lot better than GX, and since I gave 5Ds a chance, I think that they're starting to get somewhere with it. Also this after the season against the "New Threat", which started around the 60's of the episodes.

Also, some of the names are from the Japanese version. I watched most of the episodes from 5Ds in Japanese, so please, don't go "Why the the hell did you change some of the names?"

Disclaimer: I own nothing

**Chapter 1** The Holy Priests

=3=

After the new threat, the Signers felt that everything that would harm the world was over. Although most of the Signers felt that way, Yusei couldn't help that small little thought in the back of his head that he knew nothing was over.

Yusei often found himself wondering why everything seemed to weigh down on them. He couldn't help it when he stopped and had time to think. He couldn't help but wonder about those worrying thoughts that seemed to creep up on him.

Within months after the new threat, did he learn that his worries were for real. It all started on the news, of a group of people kidnapping duelists that had the "potential to use real monsters". Or so Ushio and Mikage told them.

"So what do you know of them?" Crow frowned as he and the whole group examined the photos of four people in dark cloaks surrounding a duelist.

"They're calling themselves Holy Priests." Ushio shook his head at the name.

"Holy Priests? They're more priests of some cult." Jack snorted.

"What's their motive?" Yusei asked as he picked up a photo of the same four in cloaks surrounding a frightened child.

"They gather up anyone that has a different heat signature. Those who have higher or lower heat signatures than normal people, they send out these four," Mikage pointed at the first photo. "To find, and take those people in."

"Then they hone their skills of dueling, and they're able to summon real life monsters." Ushio added.

"How come these Holy Priests haven't been stopped?" Crow furrowed his eyebrows with suspicion and worry.

"We haven't found their head quarters. The reason why we know so much of how they find certain duelists is because they were bold enough to tell us first hand." Mikage frowned.

"They're that confident?" Yusei set the photo he had been examining down.

"Apparently so."

"What's this got to do with us?" the smaller teen crossed his arms, eyes narrowing at the officers.

"We're asking for you guys to be cautious. We know what Aki Izayoi is capable of, and we're worried she'll become a target soon." Ushio stared down at Crow, effectively getting the message through to the teen.

"Ok, ok. I get the picture." Crow uncrossed his arms.

"So you want us to keep an eye on Aki until you catch these guys?" Yusei guessed.

"And Ruka-chan." Mikage added. "We're not sure if she'll be as strong as Aki in that department, but she can still talk to her deck. The Holy Priests may pick up on that information and won't hesitate on taking her too."

"Right. Well thanks for the warning." Jack broke away from circling the table to retrieve his drink on the desk not too far away.

"We'll keep a good eye on them. They're classes should be ending soon." Yusei checked the clock on the wall to see that indeed his friends' classes were ending within ten minutes.

"We'll be off. Be careful, ok?" Mikage waved as they left for the door.

"Oh they'll be fine, Mikage." Ushio grumbled as if it was a well known thing.

"Doesn't hurt to try. If you showed you care a bit more often then people will respect you." Mikage patted his back.

Ushio just raised an eyebrow.

Once they left Yusei picked up his deck from the desk in the corner.

"You're heading off to meet them?" Crow guessed.

"I only want to inform them of these so called priests. We have little information of them, but I know Aki can take care of herself. It's Ruka I'm worried about." Yusei elaborated as he lifted his jacket over his shoulders.

"She may be small, but she has a strong heart and even a stronger connection to her dragon." Jack pointed out.

"True, but she's still a child. We can't take any chances, however unlikely they'll be able to capture her." Yusei countered, leaving them for the Duel Academy.

=3=

"Let's go!" Rua jumped up and down excitedly as the bell rang.

"You're always excited to visit Yusei." Ruka rolled her eyes at her brother, unable to hold back a smile of her own.

"Oh c'mon, Ruka! I know you like visiting him too!" Rua accused.

"I'm surprised you're not sad that our friends are unable to come today." His twin frowned.

"Yea, it's too bad they're all busy." Rua slouched forward, nearly pouting.

"Let's keep going." Ruka smiled, trying to cheer her brother up.

Rua brightened up. "Let's!"

Before the twins made it outside into the hallway, the principal blocked their way. He had a worried expression as he politely asked if they could spare him a few moments.

"We're not in trouble, are we?" Ruka frowned.

"No, no, nothing like that. I would just like to ask a few questions concerning Izayoi Aki." The principal ran a hand through his hair.

"Aki-nee-chan? What's wrong?" both twins spoke in sync with worry.

"I was hoping either of you knew. She hasn't shown up in a couple of days, we contacted her parents and she hasn't returned home either." The principal informed.

"What!"

=3=

_Two Days Before_

Aki waved goodbye to her classmates, flashing a genuine smile that seemed to grow happier with each passing day. Now that she can control her powers, and no one feared her anymore, Aki felt like life was good again.

Today was such a good day that Aki felt she should visit the boys. It's been a while since she last saw them, and she was sure that the twins and their friends would be on their way there now.

As she walked two to three blocks, though, Aki began to feel uneasy. The hair on the back of her neck stood up as her shoulders tensed.

'_Someone is following me.'_ Aki glanced over her shoulders.

But no one was there.

Trying to calm her nerves, Aki kept walking. But the uneasy feeling was still there after another block. Something caught her attention from an alleyway. From the corner of her eye she thought she saw a shadow of a figure moving about.

Aki cautiously made her way into the alley, ready to use her powers if needed. After a few moments of walking deeper into an alleyway, Aki found herself standing in a squared area where three other alleyways met, creating an intersection effect.

Still moving cautiously, Aki made her way to the center.

"Whoever you are, show yourself! I'm not afraid to use my dragon on someone who's stalking me." Aki warned, as she heard footsteps approaching from all sides.

Aki twirled around, confused, as all four men (or at least they look like they're men) formed a circle around her. They were all wearing black cloaks with their hoods up, shadowing over their faces.

In her confusion, the four began to chant in an unknown language. This only confused the trapped Signer even more as she twirled around. The chanting heightened in volume, over whelming her senses.

"Stop it!" she cried.

Aki stopped twirling around, hands rose to her head as she tried to drown out the voices. Opening her eyes, Aki raised one arm up, ready to summon her dragon when suddenly a ring of energy manifested, forming another circle around her.

"What…?" Aki froze as the ring of energy shrunk its way towards her.

Before she could retaliate, the ring tightened itself around her like rope. Within moments it drained of her energy as she fell to the ground.

"What do you want from me?" Aki weakly asked as she used the last of her strength to speak.

"You have great potential…Black Rose. Perhaps you'll make an even better specimen than our current one that bites back." One of the men chuckled.

The other three laughed, and Aki knew no more.

=3=

Aki woke up to find herself in a small cell with some energy shield that prevented her to escape. The barrier was clear, save for a hint of blue green color that swirled around like soap on water. She didn't know what it was called, but it waved off enough energy that she could feel it. Aki could tell that from its energy, nothing will be able to penetrate it.

She sat up, tilting her head when her gaze met someone in a cell across from hers.

He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, eyes glaring off into space in deep thought. He was around Yusei's height, Aki guessed. His bronze skin intrigued the Signer. She was curious where he was from.

He wore black leather pants that were a second skin on his thin legs. His black boots were that of a D-Wheel rider, but still went well with his pants. The young man wore a simple sleeveless black shirt tucked in under the pants with two belts. One belt went straight around his thin waist, while the other was slanted over the side.

His arms were bare, showing off skin and somewhat athletic muscles. What struck as odd to Aki were gold armbands from the wrist to just below the elbow. They strangely reminded her of the armbands the Egyptians wore ages past.

'_Maybe he's from Egypt?'_ Aki shrugged off the thought and turned her gaze at his face.

One of the most striking features was his hair. It was spiked in a star-like shape, black with red tips. His blond bangs were shaped of lightning bolts, on one side framed his face while the other seemed to hold itself outwards.

One bang shot straight up into the middle of the black and red mess. Tearing her gaze off his hair, Aki focused on the teen's eyes.

Her heartbeat stopped for a second of this young man's intensity of striking crimson red eyes. The deep color reminded Aki of Yusei's blue eyes, only the colors were opposite.

He seemed to have caught on her staring, his gaze turned to her. Aki quickly turned her head, feeling embarrassed.

"I know you've been admiring me, Black Rose." He smirked.

"H-How do you know me?" Aki glared, ineffectively trying to intimidate him.

Her reaction only served to amuse him even more.

"You can say I'm a walking god, I've been watching you and your friends since the beginning of your journey against the Dark Signers." He simply shrugged.

"What do you mean a walking god? There's no such thing." Aki narrowed her eyes at him, suspicious yet curious at the same time.

He couldn't hold back a small laugh.

"I can control the gods with the flick of my wrist; I can summon monsters from within my soul without using cards or a duel disk." He said with a smug expression.

"Then why can't you escape from this place?" Aki couldn't help but raise her voice a little.

"They took away my power source." He snorted in disgust.

"Then wouldn't you be useless to them?" she flinched at her words, she didn't mean to say them.

He shrugged. "They've been trying to make me hone my skills."

'_And the moment I master my powers they will regret capturing me.' _He finished in thought.

"If you know about me…then what's my name?" Aki couldn't help but ask.

He smirked. "Izayoi Aki, you're often known as the Black Rose or the Black Witch. You believed your mark was a curse, when later one you were taught that it was a gift. Your connection with the Black Rose Dragon still remains strong, even after you gained full control of your powers."

Aki hunched her shoulders in defeat. "All right, I believe you. But what's your name?"

He frowned.

"If we're going to escape, I would like to know who I'm working with to get out of here." She reasoned.

"…Atemu."

"Atemu?" Aki tilted her head, his name rolling off her tongue.

"That's right."

What a strange name, she thought.

"I get that a lot." He chuckled.

"Did I say that out loud?" Aki frowned.

"I can't read minds." Atemu rolled his eyes.

"Sorry."

Atemu furrowed his eyebrows. "Wait…you said 'if we're going to escape'…what do you mean?"

"It's better to work with someone in order to escape, right?" Aki pointed out.

"True." He tilted his head in thought.

"How did you get here?"

"Hm?" Atemu returned his gaze at her, he wasn't really paying attention.

Aki glared. "I said how did you wind up here?"

He shrugged. "Same as you. I was out at night, enjoying myself at a night club. When I was heading home afterwards did those four bastards surround me."

"I'm sorry."

"That was weeks ago." Atemu waved off.

Footsteps echoed in the hallway as a pair of guards and one of the men in black cloaks headed their way. The three stopped in front of their cells, the man smiling.

"Well, well, look who's awake. I hope you're comfortable with your cell, Black Rose." The cloaked man said in a smooth baritone voice.

"You hoped wrong." Aki replied coldly.

"Soon you'll think differently. Now as for you, my precious Desert Prince, are you ready for another one of my lessons?" the stranger turned to Atemu.

"You don't own me, Ares." Atemu hissed.

Ares clicked his tongue. "You still hate me, even after all the times I spared you from the most painful of punishments."

"You call yourselves gods, when you're only men with a ridiculous amount of magic within your souls. Here you've trapped a real god, and soon you'll all be paying the price." The teen warned.

"Talk all you want, your powers have been restricted to the point you can only do minimal damage to us. If you want to survive this place, I recommend you bite your tongue. If we strip you from all of your powers, then you'll die from exhaustion." Ares countered back.

"A god, even in the human flesh, cannot die." Atemu narrowed his eyes.

'_How is he so confident against this man?'_ Aki furrowed her eyebrows.

The man in the cloak snapped his fingers, the guards stomped one foot in unison, ready for their orders.

"Tie him up. He needs to learn another _painful_ lesson." Ares cackled, smirking evilly.

The guards snickered as they punched in the code to open the strange energy shield, taking out nylon ropes as the cornered Atemu.

Aki ran to her shield as she watched helplessly as the teen struggled to fight back. But whatever punishment he had previously, had taken its toll on him for he was too weak to fight back for very long. The guards had tied his hands behind his back, nearly dragging him along before Ares' feet.

"Hmmm." Ares hummed, lifting Atemu's chin up. "You are my most prized possession, Desert Prince. You are strong and confident, yet you are still so delicate like the rose you are."

"I. Belong. To. No. One!" Atemu growled, suddenly baring fangs as his eyes darkened with hatred, his pupils grew long into cat-like slits.

Aki couldn't suppress the shivers running down her back. She tore her gaze away from the terrifying teen to Ares, who didn't seem to be scared at all.

"My, my, such anger." Ares smirked, leaning forward, their faces mere inches away.

"This is a good sign, Desert Prince. Now the next step is to channel your anger, build it up inside you, just enough to set your powers free from your soul."

Atemu spat in the man's face.

Ares froze for a moment, surprised.

Aki watched, holding her breath as the cloaked man straightened himself as he wiped away the fluids from his face. His smirk transformed into a deep frown, and even though she couldn't see his eyes, Aki knew he was glaring menacingly at Atemu.

"Take him to the electric bed. I'm not going to hold back this time, Desert Prince."Ares said in a tone that promised a world of pain.

As the guards took the still struggling Atemu away, Aki pounded her fists against the barrier.

"No! Where are you taking him! What are you going to do him!" she demanded, watching helplessly as Atemu was dragged out of sight.

Ares turned to her, answering with only a smirk.

"Aren't you going to say anything? Tell me what you're going to do!" Aki shouted as she continued to pound the barrier.

The cloaked man said nothing as he followed the guards, still smirking a knowing smirk.

"No! Don't hurt him! Don't you dare hurt him!"

She didn't understand why she was screaming, she didn't even know why she was demanding to know what they will do to someone she had just met. Aki never grew attached to anyone so quickly. But maybe she did in this case because something about Atemu reminded her of Yusei.

Ares laughed. "That's right, feed your anger Black Rose. Soon you'll take your first step of hardening your skills."

Aki stopped her pounding, hearing those words over and over in her head. The way he spoke, the way he told her to feed her anger, reminded her of Divine. But this man was much worse than Divine. Divine only twisted words, twisting people's minds to his will.

Ares was a more sadist control freak. Even though she only knew of him for a few moments, his intentions made Divine look kind.

Whimpering, Aki fell to her knees, gripping her arm as she tried to call out to the others through their bond. But something was wrong, her mark couldn't reach out to them. It didn't take her long that the prison around her was probably put under spells to prevent her to contact the other Signers.

Although she didn't want to, the tears came. Aki leaned against the energy shield as she wished with all her heart that Yusei and the others will come to her rescue.

=3=

Death: Ok, there's a few things I'd like to go over, and the first is please don't tell me anything of religious shit. The Holy Priests are only called so because I wanted to give them a name that was the opposite of what they are. More will be explained within the next couple of chaps.

1) Engergy Barrier: Think of it as a shield, or better yet a barrier, kind of like the barriers Naraku uses in Inuyasha. If you don't know anything of Inuyasha, you should be ashamed.

2) Atemu: I know, he seems real angry and a bit too Seto Kaiba-like. But there's a reason why, because he has had a troubled life as he was forced to come back as a living god. More will be explained in the next chapter.

3) Ares: It is not his real name, but he named himself after a Greek God of war, bloodlust, manly courage, and civil war. Ares is the leader of the four Holy Priests for he is more controlling than the other three. And of course the other three have also named themselves after Greek Gods, their names will be revealed in the next chap.

There, I hope everything's cleared up. Also, as a small warning, there will be slight yaoi, and it's not with the two main characters. They would make a pretty couple but they're too much alike. I would leave hints of what the pairings will be as the story continues, but I'm sure you guys might figure it out before then.

Without further ado, please click the magic button underneath and tell me what you think!


	2. The Three Nobleman

Death: Well...with only one review when this has been served on a silver platter for a couple of months, didn't help my already low self esteem. DDx But I thank the one person who actually reviewed! I happily give this reviewer a HUGE thank you! It helped me continue on (even though its a little late for an update) with this story! I'm still a little nervous about it, but with this chapter comes some interesting twists...

Disclaimer: I think its plain obvious that I own nothing.

**Chapter 2** The Three Nobles

=3=

Atemu knew that he had to escape. The pressure to do so had heightened even more when they had caught one of the 'Star Children'. Soon they might capture and kidnap the other four 'Star Children', or Signers, however they called themselves.

But what worried him was that he would have to explain everything to them, and reveal that nothing about the world was so pure. Atemu himself couldn't believe it when he was pushed out of the afterlife just because his heart and soul was strong enough to fill in the role of 'The Guardian'.

He had been told (by Shadi no less) that as 'The Guardian', he would watch over the planet and its creatures with a careful eye. Over all there were three Guardians', he being the strongest for controlling the gods with a flick of his wrist. Each guardian also had their own power and order.

The first guardian had the power of both light and darkness. This guardian was the balance between mankind and spirits. In a way this guardian was the bridge between human mortals and the gods that ruled amongst the skies.

Atemu was chosen to become this guardian. His power over the light was extraordinarily exceeded all other individuals. He was chosen also because of his understanding of the darkness, not afraid of it, and not afraid of using the darkness when needed.

Evidence of this was when Yuugi first solved the puzzle. The boy had unleashed a spirit that knew nothing of his own past, but the knowledge of the Yami no Games. Atemu had used this knowledge to target anyone who was taking advantage of Yuugi or his friends, and judge them a pharaoh and his loyal priests did five thousand years before.

However, later on towards the ending of Pegasus' tournament, Atemu was forced to lower this power to a point that he almost rarely used it to his advantage. It all started during their second duel against Seto Kaiba, who stood at the edge of the cliff and if Atemu had finished the attack, would have knocked the other duelist to his death.

But this didn't mean Atemu had forgotten how to control the shadows. Lately, he had sought comfort more to the shadows than the light rays of Ra itself. He knew it was because he had to balance himself out, and he knew that he was soon going to snap and quite possibly turn into a villain.

This had happened once, and scared the hell out of Atemu. One, this behavior came with the cost of Yuugi's soul. And two, his friends had to bear witness to such actions that was not his normal dueling tactics. But now that Atemu knew that this was normal for his soul and heart to balance out for this new role, he felt ready.

The other two guardians he knew of very well. While Atemu was the Guardian that represented the bridge between mankind to the gods in the skies, the other two represented what he believed, in lack of better words, heaven and hell.

The Guardian that was heaven had the extreme power of light. His soul would have to be filled with a loving and nurtured light that no darkness could penetrate and take root in. This came to no surprise to Atemu when he saw Seto for the first time when he was thrown back down to earth.

Seto had a huge amount of ego that could swallow up everyone else if it were an actual creature. His pride had kept his heart (or at least most of it) pure. It was shown multiple times from their ancient home to a little more modern side of his cousin that no darkness could take hold within him.

Sure, his priest was tempted to dangerous territory in order to win, but even if he took that path he still remained the same Seto. And throughout it all he had one creature that had remained by his side, never to fail him much like Atemu's Dark Magician; the Blue Eyes White Dragon. Because of this the gods had chosen Seto as the 'Eternal Light'.

The third and last guardian was of the darker side. This guardian was what Atemu viewed as 'Guardian of Hell'. And the tortured soul that was to fill in this role was so rightly named. Atemu was surprised that the third person that had been thrown back to earth with him and Seto, was none other than Thief King Bakura.

Because his heart and soul was so corrupted, with enough hatred and known nothing else but the darkness, the gods reluctantly chose him. The very same soul that held his ground against Atemu for a five thousand year war was Bakura. Who happened to be his significant other that was forever destined to be the opposite of him.

If Atemu was the body of light, then Bakura would be his darkness. If Atemu were to switch to the darkness, then the thief would switch to the light. These two were yin and yang, forever chained to each other. Push and pull, opposite and yet the same, the pair were in a dance that would never end or separate.

Bakura of course didn't agree to his new fate at all. He tried to defy all that he had been told and made an attempt to continue the war between them. When Atemu didn't return fire, Bakura held a knife to the pharaoh's neck. Even still Atemu didn't retaliate. This of course somehow made an impression upon the thief, and gradually he accepted this new and strange fate that he was to share with his two enemies.

But now Atemu was stuck in a problem that demanded him to escape. With the Black Rose now in the hands of these so called Holy Priests, the former pharaoh thanked Ra over and over that these men had no idea of the potential power to control the gods were within their grasps.

And while Atemu was strapped into the table of the torture chamber, he prayed to Ra that these men would not discover such secrets. As he prayed, Atemu focused on nothing but his voice and the words he was mumbling to tune out the intense pain.

He didn't know how long he had been on the table, but once the hum of the machines that surrounded him stopped, Atemu relaxed. His hoarse voice stopped. The former pharaoh desperately wanted to open his eyes, but he found that his entire body was weak. He couldn't even move his pinky.

'_How humiliating, I'm sure Seto would get a kick out of this.'_ He thought bitterly.

Atemu then felt a cold hand cup his cheek, almost affectionately. But he recognized the hand to be none other than the leader of the Holy Priests. Ares was not a man he could ever trust; therefore he despised that hand that seemed to touch him like a mother would a sick child.

For a moment he felt a thumb brush over his lips. Atemu wanted nothing else but bite that thumb off the cold hand. But his body was weak, and he couldn't attempt such an action. And for a moment Atemu wished he had Bakura by his side, to knock some sense to this man that dared to touch him in an affectionate way.

Oh how satisfying that image sounded to the former pharaoh. He was almost thrilled to imagine that he was watching the thief rip out the man's guts and skinning him alive, staining the floor and walls with blood. And eventually Atemu would join in. This thought frightened him, but the former pharaoh didn't object.

His fantasy was interrupted when he realized that he was being picked up bridal style.

A wave of relief flooded through Atemu's mind and body. He was finally going to rest and recuperate. And hopefully they had not pried at the Black Rose; the Holy Priests usually spent more time studying him instead of the others they had captured.

He knew this because Ares often came to his cell with curious questions. All four of these Holy Priests seemed highly intrigued by him, and they wanted answers. Atemu never answered any of the important ones, but managed to turn them to the opposite of the truth. But he knew that it wouldn't take long before they realized that he was leading them to the wrong direction.

And in a way the Black Rose had arrived just in the nick of time. If he was to face her in a duel, their monsters would clash and create massive damage to their surroundings. If they caused enough damage, then Atemu would have the luxury to use his third eye to reach out to the other two.

He knew that the buildings they were in had many spells casted upon them. If they were ever to be damaged then the spells would slowly lose their effect. And he knew that if he were to face the Black Rose, there would be more than enough damage to stop the spells altogether.

Or if that had failed, then maybe Atemu would summon one of the gods. With one of the gods on the field, not only did he have the massive power to escape, but he also could charge a reaction from the Black Rose's mark to reach out to the other four marks and bring them to this specific location.

And with the other Signers, then the police would without a doubt follow close behind. But what worried Atemu about his plan was that the Holy Priests would shift their interest from him to the Signers. If one individual could call out to the other four, then they will be one step closer to the secrets that were never meant to be found.

Once again Atemu's scheming was interrupted when he felt himself being laid down on the familiar bed he had acquainted himself with. Whoever carried him to his bed quickly left. Atemu didn't care, for he was already drifting off into much needed sleep.

=3=

When Atemu was finally returned, Aki was eager to see him once again. He was the only one that had dared to talk to her in this hall. Everyone else would either ignore her or cower away in fear. But when she watched the weakened state Atemu was reduced to whatever the Holy Priests did to him, her heart sank.

She could tell that the other needed serious rest. Aki somehow knew that Atemu was awake, for his eyes moved under the eyelids. And for a brief moment she thought she saw his eyes open a little bit while the guard laid him down onto the bed.

The second she saw his eyes open, they closed once again. Aki watched as his breathing in his chest evened out, the clear signs of sweet slumber.

'_I'll let him sleep and wait for him to wake up on his own time.'_ Aki just hoped that she didn't have to wait very long; she wasn't sure how long the priests would turn their attention on her.

The next day (she has been held captive for three days now), as Aki was dozing off, she heard a guard enter the hallway. This was normal. A guard would often patrol this hallway to ensure no one escaped. But she heard another set of feet shuffling along with the guard's.

Curious and still half asleep, Aki sat up and rubbed her eyes. She opened them just in time to see who was being brought to the cell next to hers. Aki nearly cried out when she realized that the other set of feet belonged to Ruka.

The scared girl gave Aki a warning look that meant that she shouldn't make any response. And so once again, the Black Rose waited. When she heard the retreating footsteps of the guard was gone, she immediately whispered to the other Signer through the wall.

"Ruka, are you all right?"

"I'm fine. What about you Aki—nee—san?" the girl relied softly in worry.

"I'm all right. How'd you get caught?" Aki furrowed her eyebrows together.

"They surrounded me and Rua. I offered myself in return they have to let him go. For some reason they accepted the offer and took me away without using their magic." Ruka explained thoroughly.

"What's happening to the others?" Aki wanted to know what the others were doing.

"They've been looking for you nonstop. I think after Rua tells them of my kidnapping they'll tell the police. But I doubt even they will find us." The girl hugged her knees close to her chest with sadness.

"There might be a way to escape. We just have to wait until he wakes up." The psychic duelist leaned against the wall with a sigh.

"He who?" Ruka perked up.

Aki told the younger Signer of her meeting with Atemu three days back. Ruka listened carefully, not asking many questions until Aki was done. She was curious about his personality, and even more so when Aki explained his odd behavior when Ares came around.

"So his eyes became cat—like, and he grew fangs?" Ruka tilted her head.

"Shocked me just as well." Aki nodded, until she remembered that there was a wall between them.

"Hm…" the younger Signer tilted her head as she processed the information.

"I wish there was a way for us to talk to him, but he needs his rest." The psychic duelist sighed.

=3=

"Damn it!" Bakura cursed as he pounded his fist against the abused wall. He had been punching it every other hour for the past three weeks.

"Calm yourself, tomb robber." The smooth baritone voice of Seto spoke in warning. The priest was just as frustrated as Bakura but the only difference was that he wasn't trying to punch holes through walls.

"You've been telling me this everyday for the past three week's priest! How the hell can I stay calm!" the Thief King snarled, and for a moment Seto thought that the man would turn his frustration on him.

The last thing these two needed was a fight. Atemu was always the one that could calm their inner beasts from growling and snarling to a satisfied purr. Take the former pharaoh out of the equation, well, Seto was surprised that they haven't blown the whole house to pieces.

"What we have to our advantage is that now…two of the Signers have been captured." Seto motioned to the computer screen he had been glued to for days on end.

Curious, Bakura walked over and peered over the priest's shoulder. On the page was a news report of well known duelists had been captured by the Holy Priests. One of which the thief recognized as the girl who had psychic powers strong enough to make even him shiver. The other was the little girl with fairy tale monsters in her deck.

"So…you're saying we should visit the other Star Children? And just what are we going to say? Oh hey! We're guardians of the planet, we cannot die, and one of our own has been kidnapped by the same people that kidnapped two of you, oh! If you want proof that we can't die, why don't you put a knife through our hearts and see what happens!" Bakura mocked.

"That's not what I was thinking. We can team up with them and with our combined minds and strength we'll be able to pin down the location of these so called priests. All we have to do is pay a visit on our D—Wheels." Seto said.

"What kind of plan is that? They will see who we are when they see our duel runners, the only difference is that our leader is missing!"

"That's the point. We ask them to help us find our leader, and we'll help them find their two friends. With the most powerful duelists teaming up against the Holy Priests…well, I can ensure you that they'll be quivering in fear." the brunette smirked.

"I admit you have a point, but what do we do after we rescue Atemu and their two Star Children?" Bakura thought for a moment, ruffling a hand through his mess of white hair.

"That will be up to Atemu." Seto shrugged.

=3=

"Can't we stop and take a break? I know you're upset over the kidnapping of Aki and Ruka, but seriously, Yusei, we need time to think over how to find them!" a cranky Jack Atlas yelled over the wind to the other two.

Yusei, Jack, and Crow have been searching Neo Domino and Satellite almost nonstop since the two girls have gone missing. All three boys were tired as hell, making Crow nearly crash every few minutes when he blinks and nearly falls asleep on the wheel. With less sleep and more stress, Jack was crankier than he should and therefore a potential bomb that's already ticking.

The lead Signer was as tired as his friends, but his determination to find Aki and Ruka drove him further. He was terrified on what would happen to them, and Yusei feared that these Holy Priests could be another Arcadia Movement, or worse, a Divine times four.

"We've done that at least five times already!" Yusei shouted back, gripping the handles of his D—Wheel harder.

"Yeah, but I'm close to dropping dead on the streets!" Crow argued back, yawning loudly.

Yusei was about to reply when he heard two motors heading their way. Glancing at the screen, the three saw that there were two D—Wheels speeding up to catch them. The lead Signer furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, he didn't recognize these duel runners but he knew he'd seen them somewhere.

One of the D—Wheels was white, with what looked like the head of a dragon at the front. The front was narrow, and Yusei realized that the two blue dots were actually eyes. Towards the back of the duel runner, behind the driver were two wings shaped as the dragon's bat—like wings.

The second D—Wheel was darker, more sinister. It was a dark gray with green and purple stripes all over it. On the top hood of the duel runner was a symbol that reminded Yusei of a head of a snake, hissing with its fork like tongue.

"I recognize those D—Wheels! They're champions from the east! They're part of the Three Nobles Team!" Jack announced with surprise.

'_So that's why they vaguely looked familiar.'_ Yusei thought. He had seen them briefly at an announcement that the team was moving to Japan for a vacation of sorts. The Signer hadn't paid much attention at the time because the twins were explaining the details of Aki's strange disappearance.

"But there's two of them, where's their leader?" Crow raised an eyebrow.

The driver of the dragon D—Wheel motioned them to a nearby exit of the highway. From what Yusei remembered the ramp went down to the harbor area.

"I think they want us to pull over." Yusei said.

"Well, aren't they pushy." The blond growled.

"Relax, we'll do what they want and see what they have to say." The lead Signer said, leading the way down the curving ramp.

Jack let out a series of curses, but followed after Yusei anyway. Crow gladly followed his friends. He wasn't sure what these two champs wanted, but he was glad that they were finally going to stop for a short break.

Yusei pulled his bike to a stop a safe distance away from the workers as they loaded and unloaded to and from the ships. His friends stopped alongside him, while the two champions remained a good five feet behind them.

After he gently kicked the stand stick for the bike to balance itself up, Yusei got off. The three Signers removed their helmets before meeting the other two halfway between their duel runners.

Yusei blinked at how strange these two duelists were. The taller one who drove the white D—Wheel had brown hair, light caramel brown skin, striking blue eyes and a white trench coat that could almost pass off as a cape as it flayed out around his slim figure. Yusei briefly thought that this duelist was similar to Jack.

The shorter male made the Signer think of a darker version of Kiryu. The duelist was a couple inches taller than Yusei, with a dark bronze tone, with white hair that was somewhat spiked but seemed to flow down. A few of the strands framed his handsome face, if one would call it handsome.

The man's purple eyes held a glint of malice, as if he was annoyed of being here in the first place. On his right cheek was a scar with one vertical line from his eye to the jaw and two horizontal lines going across. Yusei hoped that it was from an accident, but by judging how accurate the lines were, they were no accident.

"Ok, you got our attention. Who are you and what do you want?" Jack snapped at them, his eyes landed on the brunette as if to size him up.

"I thought you'd know by now. I am Seto Thanos, and he's Bakura Itja." The tall duelists introduced.

"Right, so why did you flag us down?" Yusei reminded.

"As you've already figured out, we're the Three Nobles Team. Only we're one short." The one named Bakura snorted.

"Our leader has been kidnapped by the Holy Priests, the same people who kidnapped your two friends." Seto added, crossing his arms.

"So you want an alliance." Yusei concluded.

"What makes you think we'll ally ourselves with you?" Crow rubbed his brow. "I mean, you could be setting a trap or something."

"As if we need to lower our standards." The white haired duelists snarled.

"Get to the point already." Jack scoffed impatiently.

"As Signers, I believe you understand the work of good and evil, correct?" Seto inquired with a raised brow.

"Yes, but how do you know that we're Signers? What connection do you have with us?" Yusei nodded.

"All in due time, if our leader wants to grace you of what we are." The brunette shrugged.

"Are you implying that we're a couple of lowlifes?" the blond stepped forward.

"Careful, you wouldn't want to challenge us. You could say we're psychic duelists. And we know that the only one who could protect you is currently missing." Bakura cackled with a wide grin that sent chills up and down their spines.

"Forget what he said and listen to what I have to offer. I'm working on a way to hack into Atemu's D—Wheel, it was also stolen by the Holy Priests. We know this for a fact because when someone pries around with it, it sends off an alarm. From what the Holy Priests have said, they care for nothing about D—Wheels, so they probably stored it somewhere.

"I won't be able to control the D—Wheel, but I would be able to make it send its signal out."

"So when it sends off its signal, we can find the hideout of these Holy Priests." Yusei smiled at the idea.

"I'm not finished yet. We give the tip to the police, but only after we infiltrate the area. Bakura can easily sneak through any security system and help us get in. We can split up into groups; one group is the distraction while the other group snoops around and sends the tip to the police." Seto paused for a moment for the plan to sink in.

"This way we can keep the Holy Priests distracted enough until the police arrive and arrest them. At the same time we can also pinpoint where our missing friends are and set them free." The brunette smirked as the three Signers before him soaked up his words, but there was still caution in the air.

"So you really think you can hack into your leader's D—Wheel?" Yusei just wanted to be sure before he gave them an answer.

"I built the team's duel runners from scratch. I know how they work from the inside and out." Seto said.

"Plus he's a world class hacker, so it shouldn't be too big of a deal to hack into something he created." Bakura added before his voice lowered to a serious tone. "Oh, and tell anyone of our talents, and we _will _ruin your reputation."

The threat was a solid one. All three Signers immediately nodded in fear that the white haired male would harm them if they didn't show they understood right away.

"So, what's your answer?" Seto pressured, his cold blue eyes stared straight at Yusei.

The lead Signer felt a little intimidated by the harsh look he was given, but he couldn't help but smile at the taller duelist. Jack and Crow knew the answer Yusei was about to give, even though they were suspicious of these two champions from the east, their given plan was a strong one.

"Let's team up!"

=3=

Death: There we have it! Seto and Bakura make an appearance, and teaming up with the new generation!

1) Yami No Game: quick recap for those who have not seen Yugioh season Zero, it literally means 'Shadow Games'.

2) Star Children: Well, they are destined to be Signers in the first place. And the original Signers from...some thousands of years past were the people of the stars. I thought it was a fitting nickname of the Signers.

3) Thanos: Greek name that means 'Nobleman'. .Yeah, I know, kinda ridiculous for Seto to be called a "Nobleman" after all he's done, but personally I like his priestly self more than his modern self. But I blame the english dub of Yugioh! They ruined his character profile when during the Oricalchos threat, Seto was actually a little nicer but nooo, they had to keep him as the arrogant jerk!

...Sorry for that little rant, I watch the Japanese eps too much.

4) Itja (pronounced ITA): I believe its Arabian/Egyptian that means 'thief'. It's not so original for Bakura's last name, but it was all I can come up with for a last name. It's not like these three can live on with their former names without attracting unwanted attention...mainly people like Carly...crazy Jack Atlas journalist.

5) I think its easy what Seto's duel runner is created after, but what about Bakura's? Anyone want to guess what it's styled after? I think it's quite obvious to me.

Well there's my update! I hope that this story will get on the list, I have no idea why it failed the first time around, and I was just lucky I got one review. So please click the review button and tell me what you think!


	3. Dirty Tricks And Turmoil Promises

Death: Well...this chapter might be a little rushed, but I feel much better with this story than before now that I've gotten more reviews! Thank you all!

Disclaimer: It's obvious that I own nothing but complicated ideas like this.

**Chapter 3** Dirty Tricks And Turmoil Promises

=3=

With some hesitation the Signers had led the two champions to their home to the huge basement. Bruno had decided to visit during that time, and nearly spilled a cup of instant ramen when he looked up to see the two newcomers.

Jack got on Bruno's case of almost wasting a good meal. Crow went upstairs for a nice nap. Yusei was the only one who was polite enough to offer any food or drinks to their guests. Bakura turned the offer down, something about already ate beforehand while Seto requested coffee.

And now Yusei was returning to the basement with the requested coffee. He walked in as Bruno was showing Seto the computers they had on the back wall. Yusei noticed that Jack was standing off to the side of them, heating up his own instant ramen. Bakura was more or less trying to ignore he was in a random basement, doing a quick check over his D—Wheel.

"So what's your duel runner styled after?" Yusei casually asked as he walked by.

"My monster Diabound, all of us in the team have duel runners styled after our favorite monsters." Bakura replied, he sounded a little forced.

'_I guess he's not used to being nice…?'_ The lead Signer concluded in wonder.

"Here's your coffee." Yusei set the cup beside the brunette.

"Thanks. And I should warn that he's going to be irritated for a while." Seto said, referring to his partner.

"Good to know." Yusei took his seat on the other side.

"So what are you guys doing here in Japan? Last I heard your team was going to a tournament in India, and then cancelled at the last minute." Jack inquired, opening the ramen cup and grabbed his chop sticks.

"Our leader, Atemu Pharos, needed a vacation. He was getting too stressed for the next tournament." The brunette coolly informed.

"Too stressed? What's there to be stressed about?" Jack furrowed his eyebrows in suspicion.

"Oh let's take a look at the list." Bakura spoke up before Seto could reply.

"Bakura—"

"Crazy and psychotic fan girls and over jealous duelists who want to trample you down to the dirt, the media trying to find any embarrassing scoops of you, and let's not forget that Seto and I aren't exactly two peas in a pie." The white haired duelist named off.

"You're a comedy genius." Seto rolled his eyes.

"Why you—" Bakura looked about ready to snap.

"Wait, if you guys aren't friends then why are you in a team to begin with?" Bruno all but frowned.

"…Because of Atemu. You could say he's the glue that keeps us together." It's not like Seto could say it was because they had to stick together for an eternal job.

"A successful team is a team with a strong friendship. You two couldn't just be friends with only your leader." Yusei pointed out.

"Unless they're bed buddies." Jack added before lifting up a few noodles from the chop sticks to his mouth.

"Bed buddies?" Bruno echoed.

"We're not bed buddies!" Bakura growled.

"Uhuh, your shout says otherwise." The blond retorted through a mouthful of ramen.

"Swallow before you spew." The white haired duelist scowled.

"Wipe that scar off your face."

Seto whirled his chair around, but before he could tell the other tall boy to stop the thief hissed.

"You know, this makes me wonder exactly why girls and boys drool over the floor for you. You're nothing but a jackass." Bakura's eye twitched as he crossed his arms.

"Excuse me? No one tells off Jack Atlas!"

Referring himself in third person was not good in Yusei's head. The blond Signer had done so in their duel in the Fortune Cup Finals. The lead Signer didn't pay much mind to it, he was concentrating more on winning while trying to get a point through his friend.

"Jack—"

"Stay out of this Yusei!" Jack angrily set his ramen cup, spilling a portion of it onto the floor.

Yusei was about to reply but Bakura already opened his mouth.

"You see, you just proved my theory. Jack Atlas is actually Jack—_Ass_." The notorious thief grinned widely, feeling very proud of himself right now.

The temperature went down below several degrees. Everyone had the same thought: Hell froze over. Crow quickly squatted down where he stood, which happened to be behind the furious blonde's precious duel runner. While Crow and Bruno cowered, Yusei held a firm gaze at his friend, warning Jack that if he were to raise a fist then he would interfere.

"Why don't you come over 'ere so I can wring that little neck of yours?" the blond narrowed his eyes with a glare that rival Seto's cold glare of death.

"No thanks, I'm good where I am." Bakura gloated.

Seto immediately recognized the plan set in motion. The brunette stood up before Jack could reply. Startled, the blond blinked in shock as Seto made three leaps to Bakura's side, grabbing his teammate's arm and roughly dragging him upstairs.

"Hey!" the thief struggled, but was in vain for the former high priest had an iron grip.

"You're not going to pull a dirty trick, Itja." Translation: Seto wasn't going to allow Bakura to pull a knife on a Star Child.

Even if that Star Child was a bit immature with ego problems.

The Signers watched in strange sense that there was something more to this situation with the way Seto was reacting. They heard Bakura's yelps and screams of curses and they briefly wondered what was happening. Half the time Bakura was speaking in a language they didn't know, it was deep and seemed ancient.

But within a few moments Seto returned with a bag. The bag was oddly shaped, giving them the impression that it held small objects. By the looks of the size, there were a lot of them. Yusei frowned when he recognized the small, rectangular shape of pocket knives. He stood up with a firm expression.

"Tell me, why does he carry weapons around?" Yusei asked in an angry tone.

"There are many reasons why our team doesn't socialize. Bakura is one of them. He carries them around simply because he's a paranoid freak and wouldn't hesitate to pull a knife on anyone. He's also protective over Atemu, the only reason why he's on the team." Seto explained as het stored the bag into his duel runner's small compartments.

"Protective how? I mean, the guy seems to loath people." Crow peered over Jack's D—Wheel.

"Tch, just as I suspected. They're bud buddies." The blond mumbled before taking another mouthful of his meal.

"While it's true that Bakura loathes people in general, Atemu is an exception." Seto turned to Jack, his cold gaze made the blond to pause.

"And I would appreciate it if you would refrain from using that term. Bakura isn't the only one who isn't afraid to pull off any dangerous tricks."

The blond wordlessly continued to finish his ramen cup.

=3=

Atemu was dreaming. He was dreaming of his days with Yuugi, the quiet, peaceful days where they both sat around and just talked. It was rare for them to relax and just share conversations that had nothing to do with their enemies or recovering his lost memories. But even after all of that, these peaceful moments with his aibou were one his most cherished memories.

There were other moments within his life that were special to him. From the few times his father had time away from his job and spent time with him, to the rare peaceful days with Yuugi. And the most recent memories he began to cherish were the few times where he literally had Bakura in his lap, purring contently like a cat. Sometimes Seto would be there with his long arms wrapped around both of them.

But his loyal priest never hugged their once mortal enemy from behind, but neither minded the small contact. To them they were happy when Atemu was happy, and he always graced them with a smile or whoever was closer he'd pet their hair affectionately. Bakura of course would get annoyed of being treated like a pet. But now and then he gave into Atemu's adorable pout and let his hair be petted.

"Um…mou hitori no boku, when you have all of your memories back, you'll still remember us, right?" His aibou in this particular memory timidly asked him.

"I'll never forget you and our friends, aibou. All of you have taught me the importance of friendship, something that I lacked of before you solved the puzzle." Was his reply with an honest smile.

"But you helped us even though we had no idea about you and your powers." The boy frowned with growing guilt.

"Aibou, I only did that because under those circumstances you had been hurt. You wanted to help your friends so I did it for you. And about half the time it was to protect you, you are my other half and I will do anything in my power to protect you." He assured with confidence.

The kind words seemed to be the answer Yuugi needed to hear. They shared a smile between them. It was at this point that the dream changed. Yuugi seemed frozen, as if time had stopped. Atemu noticed the shadows creeping along, surrounding them. He knew what was happening, but it made him feel uneasy that his aibou dream or not, was being swallowed by the very darkness he tried to protect him from.

'_You know you shouldn't dwell in the past so much. You'll only depress yourself.' _A dark, female voice echoed from the shadows.

Atemu couldn't stop a chuckle in response.

"You're one to talk, Nightshade." He smirked as the creature revealed herself from the shadows.

Nightshade Dragon was a syncro monster that came to him three years prior in a series of dreams. At first he was frightened of her, for she was intimidating to look at. Nightshade was as dark as night. She had a narrow head with intense red eyes and her two main fangs reached her lower jaw. She had a long neck that could curl and twist much like a snake's. Her long body easily reached twenty feet from the tip of her nose to the end of her tail.

The dragon might be long, but she certainly wasn't fragile. Her chest was wide, narrowing down some towards her rear legs (she didn't have forelegs like most dragons did, which Atemu found fascinating). The legs at least had some muscle being the only limbs she had other than her wings. When the legs were fully extended the claws met the halfway mark of her tail.

Besides her sharp teeth, intense red eyes, her claws were what really intimidated Atemu. The talons were big enough to penetrate through his body. And there were three talons, plus one at the heel of her foot. He calculated, and if she wanted she could impale him with one foot with the four talons ripping him into four big chunks of flesh.

Not that he would actually die. But still, he didn't want to cross the line with her.

What impressed him though were her wings. They were thick in width, and impressively long in length. When they met she was proud to say her wingspan was ten feet. They were half the length of her entire body, but they didn't look small for her. The wings reminded him much of a bat's, only the base of the leather skin didn't extend to her legs. Instead the base of the leather attaching to her body reached just before her hind quarters.

All in all, Nightshade Dragon was a feminine yet strong dragon. She was fierce in battle and gentle like a caring mother to him at times. The bond between them grew stronger when Atemu realized that she was much like him. She was the balance between light and dark, she apparently had two forms. She was currently in her darker half of the soul. She had to earn her other form in a strong battle against the purest soul of light.

That was their contract. He help her find her light, and she'll help him go through his change from light to dark then back to light. In a way she was also the reason why Atemu formed up his team, a very unlikely team, but they were unbeatable none of the less. The Three Nobleman worked much like the game of duel monsters itself.

Atemu was the deck, as the leader and his strong belief in the heart of the cards provided them a solution out of a tight corner. Seto was the hand. He can quickly manipulate his monsters to have enough to summon higher leveled monsters such as Blue Eyes. Bakura was the graveyard, for his strategy most of the time was so that their graveyards would become nonexistent or his destiny board that spelled "FINAL" that automatically ended the game in their favor.

'_I am at least trying to get us out of this prison. I'm actually missing that petty little thief that you call your lover.'_ Nightshade snorted.

Atemu narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. "What have you done?"

'_Oh nothing too bad, boy. You know all I ever do is either pace or glare at people. I've changed my tactics a little. I'm trying to figure a way to shut down those energy shields from the inside.'_ The dragon let out a rumbled laugh, her hot breath hit him and he blanched at the heat.

"Please don't cause too much commotion. I don't know how long this body will last after the last experiment." Atemu growled at her.

'_I know. But it's hard not to respond to those Star Children. They have two of them now, that little girl with the fairy dragon.'_ Nightshade said.

Of course, there were a few glitches within their contract. For one Nightshade had the uncanny ability to take control over his body at random times. Sometimes he was given the chance to see what she was doing, able to respond to the other two guardians but nothing else. Other times he was pushed aside into his mind and unable to do a thing until she grants him full control once again.

The downfall of this was that when she had total control was that her voice over rode his own. It wasn't like his voice at all, from what Seto had once told him. 'It was like those men Marik controlled with the Sennen Rod, you can hear two voices but in your case hers rules out your voice almost completely'.

"Then…wait, you said the girl with the fairy dragon?" Atemu glanced up.

'_Yes.'_ Was the hissed reply.

"She should be able to communicate with you without actually speaking. It's her power to speak to monsters, so this should be easy." He smirked as she tilted her head at him.

'…_I could kiss you if it were possible.'_

"And I think it would be slightly awkward." Atemu let out a nervous laugh.

=3=

Aki had tried to turn Atemu's attention to her. She ran out of options after sending a few threats (it was only to intimidate him) and they did nothing. Some half an hour earlier she had noticed that he was stirring, and opened his eyes but didn't get up or move from his position on the side.

She knew he was awake, Ruka said she could see his eyes. The younger Signer still can, but he wouldn't turn his gaze to either of them. Aki eventually gave up and sat down on her bed, letting out a sigh of frustration.

"Maybe it has something to do with whatever those priests did to him the past few days." The psychic duelist wondered out loud.

"Possibly..." Ruka shrugged.

Suddenly there was a rustle of fabric. It took Aki a moment to realize that the rustling came from the cell across from hers. She perked up when she watched in shock as he tried to stand up. He struggled for a bit, and had to reach out to the wall on the other side for support.

Nightshade was having trouble to move. She knew what the Holy Priests had done, she didn't try to block out what was happening unlike the boy. The legs were weak hell, the whole body was weak. What little he had in the stomach wanted to come out through the mouth.

She did not like this. There was no way Atemu could brush this one off like he did the previous experiments. Those damned Holy Priests had gone too far this time. Nightshade found herself kneeling on the floor, the legs had given out.

The pain had intensified, spreading throughout the entire body. It was then she knew, it was too soon for this body to be even moving. When she had control of Atemu's body, she felt the pain. It had really hurt just by lying there, but moving around made it worse.

The pain increased so much she clawed at the wall with one hand, unable to hear the Signers as they called out to her. Nightshade clenched her jaws tightly, willing herself not to scream. She knew that this body had low energy now, and briefly she raised her head to meet the smaller girl's gaze.

'_P—please, help us…help us…'_ Nightshade pleaded out to the girl.

But before Ruka could reply, Atemu's body gave out once again. She was unable to sit up now.

Nightshade wasn't sure, but she had a feeling she was sprawled out on the floor. It was harder to resist the urge to scream. Nightshade lay there, twitching as she let out a feral growl before it turned into a scream of pure agony.

Ruka whimpered at the scream, immediately covering her ears. While she was trying to drown out the ear splitting screams, the plea repeated in her head. That voice sounded female, more feminine, and if possible darker than a human voice should be.

There was no doubt about it. This Atemu person had some strong connection to a monster that can take control of him. But it seemed that they miscalculated how strong his body was, and the creature pleaded to her. The desperate voice reminded Ruka of a wounded animal, an animal that was once strong and graceful. But now it was reduced to a weakened state, so weak that it could do nothing but scream.

As soon as the screaming started, it ended. The creature didn't have the energy to even _scream_, as it laid there whimpering and sobbing. Atemu's chest rose up and down rather fast, gasping to regain lost oxygen in a loss of control over the body's instinct reaction to this intense pain.

Even though they weren't making eye contact, Ruka could still hear that voice.

'_Please…we need to escape…we have to…help us…'_

The young Signer stood up and made her way to the energy shield. She was gathering up the courage to reply but the pleas were nearly breaking her into tears.

'_Please…please…'_ the voice was getting weaker now, barely able to get the words out.

Ruka watched as those eyes began to close. The tears began to fall down her cheeks.

"I promise we'll get you out! Just hang in there, we'll find a way! Stay strong!" the young Signer cried.

"Ruka…?" Aki tilted her head in confusion, not sure if something else was going on right now or it was the girl's pledge to help ease his pain.

Nightshade smiled as she heard the promise loud and clear. And with one final saying she let out a sigh.

'_Thank you…thank you, little one.'_

Even in her turmoil to see anything in pain, Ruka smiled at the hope in the voice.

=3=

Death: I think Ruka's power to communicate with the cards is only effective when she's holding the cards themselves or the spirits of the cards come to her. But in this case, Nightshade was in control of a human body so she couldn't see what Nightshade looked like.

1) It's within Bakura's nature to seek out someone within a group that would be the easiest target to provoke. I mean, really, he gave Seto a reason to go to Egypt in the final season! And that was a hard feat, since Seto wouldn't go in the first place. Yet he did. Why? Because Bakura is a smooth talker, ok not entirely smooth but you get what I mean. As for what the knives looked like, just picture the things the police confiscated from the Joker in 'The Dark Knight', but twice as many.

2) Nightshade Dragon: I'm sorry there won't be any drawings of her for a while. I've tried many times to draw her but I'm not good with creatures...I have an artist on DA in mind for a request, but I don't know if she'll want to do it or not. But if anyone who is willing to try, please contact me through review or private message, and give me your account name on DA so I can find you.

3) I have been asked how long I've been into Yugioh, and which series. After all most of my fanfics are Death Note with one Bleach, and one Code Geass. I've been a Yugioh follower since the beginning. Well, not entirely, I didn't like the first season but there were a few touching moments. And it was annoying as hell that the "Friendship speeches" and "all about monsters" was repeated over and over, then the Oricalchos came along and blew all that to pieces. I have to say that's my favorite season second to the very last (I'm a nerd for Egyptian culture).

And I'm sort of a late boomer of a fan of 5D's. I HATED Yugioh GX, they went on too freakin' long and with some wild drama from left to right, so why would I give 5D's a chance? Well over this summer I was bored, and gave it a chance. Just once. And, I grew to like it. It's like the original, but minus the "friendship speeches" and "all about monsters". Well, it sort of is but it's tuned down A LOT. So I instantly grew to like it, even though I couldn't help but notice that Yusei was kinda like Atemu but maybe not as naive, and Jack was like Seto but...more out of control? Maybe? Yea, sounds about right.

Anyway, just thought I'd share about my inspiration about this story. I hope you enjoyed reading and this will probably be my last update for this story for two weeks, finals are coming up. So please review! :3


	4. A State of Emergency

Death: I apologize for the late update. A lot of things have been going on lately, and now I finally finished this up. Hope you enjoy, because we finally get to see some dueling action!

Disclaimer: I own nothing

BTW: I aplogize ahead of time if my dueling...seems lame, but I'm doing what I can here. I love to duel, it's just writing it all down that's the problem...

**Chapter 4** A State of Emergency

=3=

Seto had been working in earnest the entire night. He wasn't the only one working though. He had Yusei and Bruno for help. The brunette was delighted to know that he wasn't the only one who had hacking skills. This of course opened up doors for the Star Child to observe and piece together what kind of a man he was.

The former high priest didn't say anything of it though, Seto was doing the same. He observed both Yusei and Bruno, but most of Seto's attention was on Yusei. He found it interesting how Yusei's intelligence on computers and machines nearly matched his. Seto found himself enjoying the presence of another intelligent human.

Atemu knew of only the basics of things, and he knew how to work on his D—Wheel. The former pharaoh's mind was stronger when it came with games, or figuring out how to get himself out of sticky situations within five seconds flat. In a number of ways Atemu was smart only when he wanted to be, while Yusei was whenever it was needed. Which was a lot, it seemed.

In the past, Atemu had been the same as Yusei. Both used their quick thinking to their advantage, and believing with the cards to guide them to victory. But now, everything wasn't a challenge to Atemu. Seto had noticed over time in the more recent tournaments, the leader had become more and more lazy.

Personally the brunette couldn't blame him. There just wasn't a challenge in dueling anymore. It wasn't like the old days where endless enemies threw themselves at their feet in a sad attempt to take over the world while eliminating the one person who stood in their way.

And the Yuugi – tachi wondered why Seto Kaiba was so grouchy all the time. Seto was interrupted from his thoughts when the shorter duelist champion handed him a cup of coffee.

"So what is Atemu like? He'd have to be special if you and Bakura put up with each other like this." Yusei didn't mean to pry, but he couldn't hold back the curiosity.

'_You have no idea how special he is.'_ Seto wanted to say. But his pride willed him not to say such words.

"Atemu is a natural leader, but he loves to play games. When he's not stressed over a tournament or other things he's a laid back person." Seto recalled the aftermath of one of the tournaments, and the former pharaoh wanted to do was lay down and snuggle.

Yusei seemed to consider the answer. He probably had never seen the Three Nobleman Team in action, if anything Seto guessed the Star Child was comparing Three Nobleman to Team 5Ds.

"Not to be rude, but I still don't understand how you three formed a team. Something about you reminds me of Jack, no offense, and Bakura…well…" Yusei paused, unsure what to say about the white haired Egyptian.

"A potential juvenile, or questionably a criminal that has never been caught?" Seto finished off with a raised brow.

"Something like that." The shorter young man shrugged.

To Yusei's surprise Seto leaned back, as if perfectly content. All night the brunette had been distant, cold and self secured. He reminded the lead Signer of a heavily protected computer, one that was cautious to everything that was said in a conversation. Now Seto let his guard down, and it was a sudden change that Yusei didn't expect.

"Hm…I suppose I could give you a straight answer." Seto stretched his arms back, stifling a yawn with a knowing smile at the confused Star Child.

"Straight answer? Are you saying you've been lying?" Yusei furrowed his eyebrows.

"Do you want to know or not?" Seto narrowed his eyes, instantly back on guard. The Star Child nearly flinched, but held his ground.

"I'll listen to what you have to say." Yusei didn't see how he would win against the brunette.

"Good, you might want to get yourself another cup of coffee. This will take a while." Seto suggested, taking a sip of his own cup.

Thirty minutes later Yusei sat down in his chair facing Seto, who had scooted away from the computers so there wouldn't be any distractions. It was still early in the morning, but Crow was already awake and heading out the door for deliveries.

"All right, I'm off. Got a busy day ahead of me, with all these endless deliveries I have to start early. Call me if anything comes up!" Crow waved off before quickly adding, "Oh, and make sure Jack does something productive! Like get a job or something."

"I'll pass on the message." Yusei waved back.

When the door closed Seto had Yusei's full attention once more. The young Star Child appeared nervous, not that Seto would blame him. He hadn't been the best person to converse with after all.

"So…where to start…?" Seto contemplated.

"How about when you met Atemu?" Yusei suggested.

"I met him when I was…about seventeen. We were in a dueling tournament, and apparently we were the best in our homeland. So of course we were competitive. I threw words at him, and he countered back not missing a beat. We didn't know of this at the time, but later we found out that we are actually cousins."

"Cousins?" Yusei's eyes widened at the thought. But it sure explained a few things, such as why Seto was part of the team.

"The strangest part is we look nothing alike." Seto shrugged.

"Really? How were you guys related then?"

"Our fathers were brothers. They had some sort of dispute, and my father broke off contact with my uncle years before I was born. I didn't even know I had an uncle until the day I first met Atemu." It was mostly a lie, but at least some of the truth was part of the story.

"Your last names are different though, right?" Yusei frowned.

"For whatever reason, my father changed our surnames. But I knew the original surname through my hacking skills, but I didn't bother questioning the old man." Seto quickly changed the subject back to the tournament.

"Anyway, it was the last duel of the day. Whoever won, would be the all time champion of Egypt. We were head to head in the duel, it was one of those classic back and forth tactics, and we were equal throughout most of the duel."

"It must have been intense." Yusei commented, remembering his duel against Jack during the tournament where everything started.

"Very. And it was one of the most thrilling duels I ever had. Atemu was amazing, he knew exactly how to keep you on your toes. He knew how to read all the little signals, and come up with a counter attack to deflect yours. He's a brilliant piece of mind when it comes to dueling." Seto leaned back with a knowing smirk.

Yusei knew what the words meant. The brunette admired Atemu, respected him. It was the kind of admiration and respect that was on the borderline of possessive. Yusei knew of this because Jack was the same way with him. What didn't help was that love was added into the mixture, but thus far they've been taking everything slow.

"You enjoy that he puts up a fight. He's equal to you, but at the same time so much stronger. When you duel against him, nothing else matters. It's just the two of you, and the audience is no longer there. Everything else around you is nothing. All you're focusing on is your opponent." Yusei didn't mean to ramble, but it was something that he had to say.

Meanwhile Seto was merely dumbstruck. The Star Child was dead on. He was dead on what he felt towards Atemu. And Yusei hadn't met Atemu, which was odd to the former priest. Maybe Yusei was more similar to Atemu than Seto originally thought.

"May I ask you something, something that may be personal?" the Egyptian's icy blue eyes studied the Star Child like that of an investigator examining a suspect.

"Sure, I guess." Yusei felt that he had no choice in the matter.

"What do you think of reincarnation?" Seto crossed his arms, and the young champion felt chills up and down his spine from the cold gaze.

'_He's searching for something specific. But why? What does reincarnation have to do with all of this?'_ Yusei was overall confused, but right now he was more concerned of what he believed.

"Personally…" Before the Star Child could go any further, the mark on his arm glowed angrily. The burning came as a surprise, and Yusei released a pained grunt at the unexpected pain. The mark never hurt this bad since he faced Dark Signer Kiryu.

Yusei gripped his right arm with his left hand in a sad attempt to calm the burning sensation. The lead Signer sat in his chair with a concerned Seto kneeling beside him, trying to examine the red mark. It took Yusei a few moments to realize that the bond of the Crimson Dragon was warning them of danger. His mind instantly drew up a picture of a red rose.

"Aki…Aki is in danger!" Yusei stood up, nearly elbowing the brunette in the face.

Within moments Jack came running downstairs, already scurrying to change into his usual Jack Atlas clothing. Seto immediately did a check over one of the computers while Yusei scrambled to his D-Wheel.

"Anything on your leader's D-Wheel?" Jack asked briefly.

"It's not activated, but his duel disk…" Seto left the computer to turn on his own duel bike. When it started up, the screen had a blinking red dot.

"He activated the emergency signal." The brunette informed just as Bakura ran down the stairs.

"Where is he?" the white haired Egyptian demanded.

"North east, near the coast." Seto said as he led the way, speeding out of the garage.

"That's the general direction my mark wants me to go." Yusei commented as he quickly followed suit.

'_But if Aki is in danger…and Atemu activated the emergency signal, who are they up against?'_ Yusei silently hoped Seto had a better idea.

=3=

When Atemu, or whoever had possessed his body, stopped screaming Ares and a couple of guards took the short man away. Atemu hadn't been brought back the whole night. The next morning Ares came back, but Atemu was nowhere in sight.

Confused and still a little groggy from being woken up, Aki sat up in her bed. Ares stood before the energy shield. She couldn't see his entire face, but she can see a narrow chin, with pale skin and the only expression Aki could see was a menacing smirk.

"What do you want?" Aki glared suspiciously at him.

"Follow me, Black Rose. We're going to test you on your powers." Ares answered, his smirk grew into a grin.

His grin didn't help the matter.

"What do you mean 'test my powers'?" Aki tensed at the idea. He sounded like Divine.

"Oh, it's nothing special. We just want to see you duel against our Desert Prince. He's the best we've captured so far, and everyone else is child's play compared to his skills. And since you have an abnormal amount of psychic powers, we thought you'd finally give him a challenge." Ares elaborated while lazily motioning the guards to come over.

"Desert Prince…you mean Atemu?" Aki furrowed her eyebrows. She had heard Ares' nickname for the Egyptian only a few days before.

"Who else?" Ares tilted his head, deactivated the shield.

The young Signer considered attacking the Holy Priest. But then he might retaliate, and there was a high chance he's expecting her make some sort of attempt at him. Plus this was Aki's chance to get a feel of the building they were in, and even better stretch her legs. Pacing around her bed did not help relieve her aching thighs.

Soon she was led to a dome that was almost as big around as the Kaiba Dome. In fact if she didn't know any better Aki would have thought they were in the Kaiba Dome. But there were no seats for an audience. Instead there were two glass windows higher up the walls so there was a safety spectator area for the Holy Priests.

Aki lowered her gaze to the other side of the dueling field to see Atemu standing with a bored expression. He was leaning on his right foot, trying not to be too obvious that he was still in pain. But he seemed not to be in so much pain to drop down to the floor and scream. To Aki, this came as a huge relief. All night she had the fear that the Holy Priests had done harmful things to him just to shut him up.

Aki stood opposite of him, feeling slightly nervous. Atemu gave a courteous nod, but nothing more.

"The rules are simple. You each start with 4000 LP; all the rules of a normal duel apply. There's no time limit, but you can't make an attempt to destroy this building or destroy each other. If there are cracks on the walls or ceiling, we're calling this duel off and we'll be taking away privileges from both of you. Understood?" Ares explained from a microphone above them.

Neither duelist could do nothing but nod. They were too tense or nervous to say a word.

"Good, you may start."

Atemu: 4000

Aki: 4000

"For the time being, I feel like being a gentleman and let the little lady go first." The Egyptian threw a fake smile at his opponent.

"Well then, you're going to regret being such a gentleman." Aki warned as she drew.

All he did in response was a soft chuckle. He never took her seriously.

"First off, I play Dandylion (ATK/300 DEF/300) in Defense Mode!" Aki summoned the monster as she curled up in a defense position. "And then I set two cards face down. Your turn, _prince_."

Atemu narrowed his eyes, but didn't verbally respond to the insult. Years of facing Bakura and Seto were perfect practice on his self control. Not that he needed much practice in the first place.

"My fair Rose, you shouldn't scold someone who has been nothing but polite to you since we first met." Atemu clicked his tongue as a parent would discipline their child as he drew from his deck.

"I summon Breaker the Magical Warrior (ATK/1600 DEF/1000) in Attack Mode!" Atemu paused as he held the card just within reach of the duel disk. The card didn't even touch the duel disk when the spellcaster appeared on the field.

'_So he wasn't exaggerating!'_ Aki tensed as she came to the realization that the Egyptian had indeed told the truth that first day she set eyes on him.

"Hold it! I activate Bottomless Trap Hole! Since your Magical Warrior has the attack power of 1600, I can destroy and remove it from play. Also, if you so happen to have another Breaker the Magical Warrior in your deck, it follows the same fate." Aki flipped over one of her face downs.

The warrior – like spellcaster fell into the trap in the ground as Atemu put it into the graveyard. He didn't seem too offended by missing a chance to attack.

"Oh well, next turn." Atemu smiled. Aki narrowed her eyes. Did she waste a trap?

"First I set one card face down, and then I play Swords of Revealing Light. Now you can't attack for three whole turns." The Egyptian's smirk was taunting.

Aki cursed herself. He caught on what her face down was! Was she that easy to read? Doing her best not to show she was affected by his tactics, Aki drew another card.

"I summon Lonefire Blossom (ATK/500 DEF/1400) in Defense Mode!" A plant with a huge bulb appeared next to the little lion flower.

"Next I activate Lonefire Blossom's special ability! By tributing one Plant – type monster, I can Special Summon one Plant – type monster from my deck. I tribute Lonefire Blossom, to special summon Gigaplant (ATK/2400 DEF/1200) in attack mode!" the small plant dissipated, and a huge swamp/plant monster took its place.

Atemu only raised a brow in response to its ugliness. He had to admit, it was a brilliant way to summon a strong monster rather quickly. But her timing needed a little more work.

"Next I activate Miracle Fertilizer." Aki flipped over the other face down. "Now I end my turn."

Swords of Revealing Light: 2

"Hm…" Atemu didn't have much of a response.

'_He's not taking anything in this duel seriously!'_ Aki bristled at the conclusion. Sure, this was the beginning of the duel but she couldn't understand why he was so aloof.

"I activate Fissure to destroy Dandylion, since he has the lowest attack power on your side of the field." A hand came out of nowhere and grabbed the shrieking lion flower and dragged it under ground.

Aki grimaced at the sight. Once again the Egyptian didn't use his duel disk to activate the spell card.

"Then I activate my trap, Pitch Black Power Stone. Don't worry; it won't be doing anything yet." Atemu teased at his opponent's confused expression. "I set one monster in Defense Mode and end my turn."

Aki drew, and then quickly ended her turn. There was nothing of use that would help her.

Swords of Revealing Light: 1

"I set another monster in Defense Mode. Then I set one card face down and I end my turn." Atemu concluded quickly.

"My turn." Aki drew. "It would seem I can attack this turn, for I activate Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Swords of Revealing Light!"

The wind picked up, Atemu braced himself as her true powers came forth as the winds wiped away his spell card. As of now he can only hope she doesn't lose control over her powers at this point.

"Next, I summon Copy Plant (ATK/0 DEF/0) in attack mode!"

Deep red eyes widened at this. She summoned a level one tuner! And if she was doing what he was currently predicting…he underestimated her. For a fraction of a second Atemu's face showed fear, then dissipated into a knowing smirk. How dare he taunt her!

"Now I synchro my level seven Gigaplant to my level one Copy Plant to synchro summon Black Rose Dragon!" In an instant the rings appeared, and then the light of Aki's well known trump card as it roared to life, red petals floated everywhere.

Atemu watched, mesmerized at the dragon that stared down at his smaller figure. A portion of him envied Aki for such a bond with this beautiful dragon. But even every rose has its deadliest thorns. Nightshade was indeed one to look at, if one wasn't afraid of bats. But his dragon held her own kind of beauty, even if she can be scary at first glance.

"I activate my dragon's special ability. I remove from play one Plant – type monster from my graveyard to change your first monster into attack position, while all its attack power lowers down to zero!" Aki removed from play Lonefire Blossom, just as the first monster Atemu set down flipped up to reveal Dark Resonator.

"I'm sorry to say, but this monster won't be destroyed that easily." Atemu smirked.

"No, but you'll still take damage. Now Black Rose Dragon, attack Dark Resonator!"Aki didn't bother to hold back the anger in her voice.

Atemu braced himself, but even then he couldn't stop the scream erupting from his throat as the dragon attacked. Dark Resonator remained on the field, hence it couldn't be destroyed only once per turn in a battle.

Atemu: 1600

Aki: 4000

"I end my turn. Let's see how you can turn this duel around, Desert Prince." Aki taunted, no longer holding back her powers or what she was saying.

Atemu drew. For a few moments he stood there, stunned at how loyal his cards were to him even at a duel such as this. Instead of questioning why though, the Egyptian went along with what his deck gave him.

"I flip summon Defender, the Magical Knight (ATK/1600 DEF/2000) to attack position! Next I summon Kuriboh (ATK/300 DEF/200) from my hand! Now, I synchro my level four Magical Knight and level one Kuriboh with level three Dark Resonator to synchro summon my dragon!" Atemu's eyes burned in an intense crimson shine Aki flinched. His voice darkened as he began to chant.

"Light diminishes as dusk darkens, Hope is destroyed by Shadows, leaving behind ashes of the lost, and brings forth the Darkest Hour. Roar, Nightshade Dragon (ATK/2600 DEF/2000)!"

At her deafening roar, Nightshade created fear within both Aki and Black Rose Dragon. The beautiful rose flinched back, while the psychic duelist shuddered. Aki could feel the darkness emanating from the darker dragon, with such intense power that it made her birthmark react. The claw on her arm glowed brightly as it called out to the others.

Atemu, who knew that he was only seconds away from being knocked out of his own body, pushed the emergency button underneath his duel disk. No sooner had he pushed the button, Atemu blacked out.

=3=

Death: Oh yea, cliffe. That's exactly what I'm known best for xD

And yes, Atemu is not using the deck he had put together when he shared a body with Yuugi, or even the deck he put together himself for his final duel against Yuugi. There will be some cards that we all know of that Atemu was particularly fond of, but they'll come around later.

So, now that Nightshade Dragon is now summoned, you'll get to learn her special ability! ...In the next chapter xD Sorry, but at least she's on the field and against Black Rose Dragon :3

Now that my rambling is done, please click the lovely review button!


	5. Sudden Interruption

Death: I'm SO BORED. Thus, I've updated rather quickly compared to the previous update. What's sad is that this is only the beginning of Easter break.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

**Chapter 5** Sudden Interruption

=3=

Atemu?: 1600

Aki: 4000

Aki wasn't sure exactly what she had gotten herself into. Something had changed, something she felt that it should have been prevented. The man before her was not Atemu, but something else. He wasn't himself.

A dark, feminine chuckle echoed in the dome. It took Aki a second to realize that the chuckling came from Atemu. She nearly gasped at the red eyes with slits. His appearance seemed more sinister, more deadly.

"Who are you?" Aki swallowed a whimper at her question.

"Ah, very good Black Rose." Atemu's voice was almost completely taken over by a dark female voice that had a deep rumble from the throat. "Now tell me, what gave me away?"

"…Your eyes, and your voice, your voice is not his. What did you do to Atemu?" the redhead regained her bravery as she felt the others trying to comfort her through their marks. They were all coming for her and Ruka, all Aki needed to do was buy them some time.

"Your dear prince is taking a little nap." The chuckle came through once more. "But you can call me…Nightshade."

Aki's eyes widened considerably. She glanced up at the dragon, who was eyeing her with a curious interest. Aki stared into blood red eyes with slits that matched Atemu's current ones. There was no doubt about it, the dragon had total control of his body.

"How…how is that possible?" Aki's mark unwillingly called out to the others in a desperate attempt for more than just comfort, but for safety.

"Well…you see, some of us..._monsters_ have certain powers. My power is to take over the one who summons me, so long as I can get through their mental shields." His shoulders shrugged. "And it so happens that Atemu and I made a pact. So breaking into his mind is real easy."

"…" Aki didn't know how to respond to Nightshade. This was out of her league, she didn't understand how the dragon was able to control a human body. Unless what Atemu bragged about on the first day was true? Was he really a walking god and this somehow raised the chances for Nightshade to have control over him?

Just then she remembered her days in the Arcadia Movement. She had no control over her powers at that time. Maybe Atemu was having the same trouble? Aki then wondered if there was anything she can do to help, like Yusei was to her.

'_I'll help him. Someone has to guide him out of the darkness. Maybe if I destroy Nightshade Dragon, Atemu will be freed from her control.'_ Aki concluded, waiting patiently as to what Nightshade would do next.

"Now that I'm on the field, I believe it's time to prim the beautiful rose from its garden." The dark feminine voice hissed.

Aki bristled at the coldness in that voice. She was too used to Atemu's warm, honey coated voice. This feminine voice was nothing like Atemu's. And Aki was going to do her best to wake him up. But there's a very high chance Nightshade will defeat her with so little effort, if Atemu had been so aloof up until this point.

"Now, attack and destroy Black Rose Dragon! Send the rose to an early grave." His lips lifted up into a sinister smirk. A dark cackle echoed, sending chills up and down her spine. If there was one time to be afraid, this was the time.

Nightshade Dragon opened her mouth, sending a purple flame at Black Rose Dragon. Even though the attack wasn't close to Aki, she still felt the pain when it hit her dragon. The pain was worse in her chest, forcing Aki to clutch the cloth just above her heart. Her scream was ripped from her throat, but her screams were silenced by her dragon's own screeching of torture.

Nightshade: 1600

Aki: 3800

Once the attack had finished Aki's knees buckled. Her hand still clutched her chest, gasping as the pain slowly dulled and left behind an intense throb. After a few minutes of recovering, Aki finally looked up to her opponent's demonic eyes and taunting smirk.

"What's with the glare, Black Rose? You seem a little…frustrated." The Atemu possessed body tilted his head.

"What did you do to Atemu? Where is he?" Aki demanded, ignoring the trap Nightshade had set up.

"Atemu…" Nightshade echoed, as if contemplating who he was. "Oh, yes, Atemu~. He's currently asleep in his soul room."

The redhead frowned in utter confusion. "Soul room…?"

Nightshade clicked her tongue, or rather Atemu's tongue, once before releasing an exasperated sigh.

"A soul room is the room that harbors your soul. The room is decorated depending on what kind of person you are, and it reveals who you truly are. You can only visit your soul room only if you're a very powerful individual combined with a very high intellect that exceeds above all others. Atemu's specialty is games, so it's no wonder why he can visit his own soul room." The dark voice elaborated.

'_So not everyone can visit their soul room…'_ Aki didn't have time to dwell on the matter when her opponent began to announce the end of their turn.

"So long as you don't have any more questions concerning Atemu, please make your move." Nightshade said in a bored tone that bordered on impatient.

"Right." Aki nodded gravely as she drew.

'_I'll have to figure out how to destroy Nightshade…and bring back Atemu!'_ the Black Rose silently promised.

=3=

Atemu could smell the familiar hot air, the enticing spices and the makings of fresh bread and wine. It was the beloved smell of home, his home, the home of his first life. Deep red eyes opened upon the familiar sight of his chamber.

Was he in a dream? Or was he reenacting a memory? He couldn't tell the difference anymore.

Examining himself, Atemu realized he wore the attire of this time. He had missed wearing such clothing. Atemu grew up with such clothes, and he never fully accepted the concept of pants. At least not the kind that was baggy.

It wasn't as if Atemu was picky, but he did not like the feel of baggy pants. It might be because he had been born into the life as a pharaoh the first time around, but baggy pants gave space to snakes and other venomous beings that can kill him. At least with tight skinny jeans Atemu would feel free and safe from the creatures that bite.

Anything that fit him like a second skin was just fine, he preferred to stay alive, thank you. Leather just happened to be one of his favorite because he always felt comfortable with it, and the leather never left a space between itself and his skin.

But with the traditional attire of a pharaoh, Atemu would never complain. He loved the feel of freedom his outfit gave, at least it made running or riding a horse easier compared to Seto's or Mahaado's robes.

Glancing around his room, Atemu felt a little unease. There was something wrong with this room, but he couldn't quite figure out why. Everything was the same, the same bed, the same statues, blank walls, same granite floors.

Then he saw it. It was such a small change it took Atemu moments to realize that it was not his. He had seen it every day for as long as he could remember, so maybe that was why he didn't realize it was there at first.

Upon the table against the far wall opposite of his bed, laid the Sennen Necklace. With caution Atemu treaded closer to the item. It never held a great threat towards him, but one cannot let his guard down. Especially when this particular Sennen item rarely made an appearance for him, dream or not.

Atemu carefully grasped the necklace, holding the all Seeing Eye in the palm of his hand. For a pharaoh who had lived his entire life with great power under his hands, Atemu respected each Sennen item for its own importance. There were a few he feared such as the Ring and Rod, and the few he was most wary of was the Key and the Eye. The Scales and Puzzle however, he did not fear. There was no real reason to fear or be wary around them.

But the Sennen Necklace, Atemu had mixed feelings about. The idea of such knowledge of the future frightened him. Such knowledge was dangerous, and sometimes it was not always true. Atemu had seen this when Ishizu relied on this item's power when she faced Seto in his first grand tournament.

To see the future, gave Atemu a sense of unease. If the necklace showed him a vision of the world being destroyed and nothing he could do be enough, he'd feel useless. And the vision would haunt him, driving him mad until the point he might commit seppuku.

Seppuku…it was one of the flaws in his power. Upon the first day Atemu had set foot on soil from the afterlife, Shadi had foretold everything. On every occasion, Atemu and the other two guardians will be able to survive any form of attack whether it be a knife to the heart or a bullet to the head, so long as they themselves didn't commit the act.

If any one of them were to commit seppuku, suicide, then their soul is reborn into a new body, a new family. Gradually, the new soul will learn of past memories. But when the soul reached a certain point in their lifetime, all the memories come to them at full force. From this point on the new body will not age or die.

But if one of them was compelled to do such an act, then the other two have no choice but to join afterwards. It was best that the Guardians started new and refreshed at the same time. If one of them were to force the new soul to accept its destiny before he was ready, everything will fall apart.

Atemu did not wish to burden them, nor they him. So for the past twenty years all three of Guardians took great care to change their names and clothes. Both Atemu and Bakura were silently glad Seto was among them, for being the best hacker of the three.

The Sennen Necklace drifted him out of his thoughts as the eye glowed. Atemu gasped as the golden light revealed what it wanted him to see.

_He saw the stars around them, shifting and moving around his figure. It was as if the stars were in an eternal dance that surrounded him. But he wasn't alone._

_To his left was none other than Yusei Fudo. The mark on Yusei's arm burned brightly, and he knew then why the stars were dancing around them. But why did the stars accept him? Shouldn't they reject him, for being a master of the gods?_

_There was a rule of balance among the creatures that protect. The Crimson Dragon and its followers are the protectors of the universe, where the stars rule. With the power of all the stars, the Crimson Dragon had the power to protect any planet that was in danger._

_But the gods were a little more humble. They didn't follow a being that granted them their powers, nor did they have the luxury to move from one planet to the next to offer up their protection. Instead the gods were the protectors of the human race. They did not follow a divine creature of the stars, but a divine heart and soul._

_Atemu was the anchor, he was the one who calls upon the gods when they were needed. From the moment he was born, he was forever tied to the Egyptian Gods. They shaped his future, but there were times Atemu had been lost. But he would always find his way back to the right path._

_So why were the stars rejoicing in his presence? _

_Atemu glanced back at Yusei. Those blue eyes were staring back, not of repulsion, but with a fondness that reminded him of Yuugi. It was one of those expressions his aibou always had when Yuugi looked up to him in the aftermath of defeating a threat to the world._

_Friendship. It was the look of friendship. He could feel that it was a very strong bond too._

_Yusei extended his arm, holding out his hand to him. Atemu didn't know why, but he found himself accepting the offered hand. Both of them smiled, even as the stars burned brightly, engulfing them with intense heat._

_Before they were burned in the light however, he heard Yusei speak with kind._

"_The bonds of friendship will always last, even after death."_

_Then the heat engulfed them both._

Atemu screamed.

=3=

"I set one monster face down. I then end my turn by placing these cards face down as well." Aki ended her turn quickly. She was slowly setting up a combo to bring back Black Rose Dragon. Her only hope was that Nightshade didn't destroy her face downs.

Nightshade: 1600

Aki: 3800

"Well then, hopefully this time I can create some damage to you." The dark voice scoffed. "I'm getting bored of just destroying your monsters in defense position."

"Just go already." Aki replied.

"My, my, so impatient." Wine red eyes rolled in annoyance as Nightshade drew.

"I summon forth Skilled Dark Magician (ATK/19000 DEF/1700) in attack mode!" Finally the deck provided another monster for Nightshade to summon. Up until this point all it gave her were traps and magic cards.

"Now, Nightshade Dragon, attack the face down monster!"

'_Good! Just as planned!'_ Aki did her best not to appear that everything was going as she wanted it to.

The dark dragon released her dark purple flare, destroying the face down that was revealed to be Botanical Girl (ATK/1300 DEF/1100).

"Why thank you. Once Botanical Girl has been sent from the field to the graveyard, I can add one plant type monster with 1000 attack points or less from my deck to my hand." Aki couldn't hold back her smile, which Nightshade interpreted as naïve false hope.

"And from my deck, I add Twilight Rose Knight (ATK/1000 DEF/1000)."

"Such a strange way of showing false hope, my dear girl, but I don't feel like questioning it. Now, Skilled Dark Magician, attack her life points directly!" Nightshade continued the battle phase.

"Not so fast! I activate my trap, Call of the Haunted! Now I can bring from the graveyard, Black Rose Dragon!" Aki smiled in her small victory at the scowled expression across Atemu's face when her trump card roared to life once more.

"I call off my attack. Then I set one card face down and end my turn."

"Hmph." Aki tilted her head, still basking in victory even as she drew. "I activate my dragon's special ability once more. I remove from play Botanical Girl to reduce Nightshade Dragon's attack power to zero!"

Nightshade Dragon (ATK/0 DEF/2000)

The darker dragon hissed in dismay. Her red eyes peered down at Aki with intense hatred and a promise for payback. Aki ignored the frightening glare and continued on with her plan.

"Black Rose Dragon, attack Nightshade!"

The possessed Atemu smirked.

"What? Why are you smiling at a time like this?" Aki's eyes widened.

"I saw right through your plan, Black Witch. You thought that by destroying me, you can bring back Atemu, right? Well I'm sorry to say, but I can't be destroyed that easily." The dark voice laughed.

"For once per turn, if I am to be destroyed by Battle, Card Effect, or Spell/Trap effects, I can negate this card's destruction by removing from play one dark monster from my deck. And by doing so, I have to permanently lower my attack power by 200 each time I use this effect." Nightshade practically grinned.

"So, I will now remove from play Chaos Magician from my deck."

"You'll still take damage!" Aki yelled in defiance.

"Sorry, but I'm afraid I don't take any damage when I activate this effect. Therefore, you've just wasted a good combo once more." Nightshade chuckled.

"…I end my turn."

Nightshade Dragon (ATK/2400 DEF/2000)

"My draw." Nightshade hesitated when she glanced over the cards in her hand. At this moment she had nothing else to use to destroy Black Rose Dragon.

"I sacrifice Skilled Dark Magician, in order to summon Dark Magician Girl (ATK/2000 DEF/1700) in attack mode!" The new monster surprised Aki, for the magician waved at her happily.

"Next, I'll activate Sage's Stone. With Dark Magician Girl on the field, I can special summon one Dark Magician from my hand, deck, or graveyard." Nightshade narrowed her eyes.

Aki watched as the Dark Magician appeared on the field. Something about him reminded her of someone. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of Dark Magician glancing over his shoulder nervously at the still possessed Atemu.

'_If his monsters are real…will they also be able to sense what's going on? The only monster that seems to show hatred towards me is Nightshade, but the others that have been summoned show no sign of hatred.'_ Aki then noticed a faint glimmer of hope.

She couldn't confirm it, but she did see the old Atemu returning for a few seconds before the crimson eyes of Nightshade Dragon returned. Did this mean he shared a deeper connection with Dark Magician?

"Dark Magician, attack Black Rose Dragon!"

Aki couldn't believe it. Some of his voice came through the dark feminine one of Nightshade!

"I'm afraid that won't work. I activate Torrential Tribute."

"Once more, I remove from play one dark monster from my deck in order to prevent my dragon from being destroyed." Nightshade said as the other monsters were sent to the graveyard.

Nightshade Dragon (ATK/2200 DEF/2000)

"But, I'm not done yet. I'm still in the battle phase, so, Nightshade Dragon, wipe out a good portion of her life points!"

The pained scream filled the air as the attack hit, nearly causing Aki to stumble backwards from the power. This time her legs couldn't keep her up as the aftermath of the attack took its toll. Aki sat gasping for air while the other continued to smirk.

Nightshade: 1600

Aki: 1600

"Now I'll activate Monster Reborn to bring back Dark Magician. Your turn."

For some reason Nightshade didn't appear so lively now. Aki didn't know what to think of it, but she knew that the Dark Magician played a big part in it. For some reason Dark Magician made the dragon wary. Wordlessly she drew from her deck.

"I activate my spell, Mark of the Rose! I can equip it to one of my opponent's monsters, and while it's my turn I can gain control of that monster until the end phase." Aki considered for a moment or two on which monster to choose from.

"Just choose." Nightshade sighed dramatically.

"I choose…Dark Magician." Aki decided on the last minute.

In an instant a tattoo of a rose appeared on Dark Magician's cheek, infecting him with the curse. Forcefully the Dark Magician switched sides on the field, now facing a weakened Nightshade Dragon and possessed master.

Wine eyes widened, the slits returning to their normal circular shaped pupils. Nightshade growled with warning as she attempted to take control once more, but Atemu had a stronger will.

"No! I will not stand by when you've allowed Mahaado to become her puppet!" Atemu fought back, a third eye opened on his forehead and glows a bright golden color.

_'You dare defy me!'_ Nightshade hissed back through their link.

Suddenly the mark on Aki's arm started to act up again. But this time it was not because of Atemu's sudden burst of power, but a warning from Yusei. Aki gasped. They were here! She was too excited to notice that the burning sensation was a warning. She was too happy that help had finally arrived.

"Atemu, they're here!"

The second those three words escaped from her there was a loud bang from the roof above. Atemu now had full control of his body now that he took advantage of the sudden distraction while Nightshade shielded him from any rubble that would have fallen on top of him.

"Wh – What is that!" Aki screamed as she stared up at a dark creature that appeared partially human with a snake for its bottom portion of the body, and dark wings protruding from the back. There was a sense of evil from this monster, and her mark was telling her to be wary. She did not like this creature at all.

"Diabound…?" Atemu stared up in confusion and awe at the same time.

=3=

Death: Oh yes, I ended it there. But there are some interesting twists, ne?

Ok, now that you all know Nightshade's ability, I think its time to fill out all the info on her:

_Nightshade Dragon _

_Attribute: Dark_

_8 Stars_

_ATK/2600 DEF/2000_

_Dragon/Synchro/Effect_

_1 DARK Tuner + 1 or more DARK monsters_

_Once per turn, if this card was to be destroyed by Battle, Card Effect, or Spell/Trap, negate this card's destruction by removing from play 1 DARK monster from your deck. Then shuffle your deck. Permanetly lower this card's ATK by 200 each time you successfully use this effect._

What do you think? Her ability comes in handy much later, but right now it only seems to be a nuisance. For one, she gets weaker each time she uses the ability, and two, there'll be less monster cards in Atemu's deck if he uses it too much.

And the drawing of Nightshade will be a while. I've asked someone if they'd like to do a rough sketch, but they're currently so busy I'll have to ask in a month. I don't mind the waiting, for I first had to come up with Nightshade's ability and name and ability of her true form. Plus, I'm in my senior year in high school. The teachers are hitting us hard with homework DDx

Ok, now that that's over and done with, please be so kind as to click the review button! :3


	6. Let's Play A Game

Death: I meant to upload this during my three day weekend, but then I got caught up with so many things I didn't have the time. Then today was school, so it took longer to finish trimming this chapter up. As a reward, I sort of extended the end of the chap. So in a way you guys were just given a not so anxious cliffehanger.

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

**Chapter 6** Let's Play A Game

=3=

Yusei pulled his duel runner to a stop in front of a gate of some sort of building. Raising his head to view the front gate it read "Neo Domino Psychiatric Hospital". A feeling of dread filled in Yusei's chest.

No wonder the Holy Priests hadn't been found yet, they've been hiding right under everyone's noses. And they've probably pulled off a lot of horrible stuff on the people they had taken into those buildings.

"You sure this is the place?" the marks were no longer burning or leading them towards Aki. They had to rely on Seto's directions a little more than halfway on their way.

"Yes, I'm sure. And right now it appears that he has his trump card on the field, so this place has to be it." The brunette added the last bit after checking over the status.

"What makes you say that?" Jack inquired.

"You see that dome that's partially being hidden behind the main building? That's the only structure that can withstand Atemu's trump card. The monster is huge, and she has a nasty habit of causing chaos." Seto pointed out with a hint of caution.

Yusei's frown deepened. What was Seto trying to hide about Atemu? Now that he thought about it, both members of the Three Noblemen Team were secretive about their leader. Seto did share a few facts, but it was more about family history and the basics of how well Atemu dueled with bits of his normal behavior.

"What do you mean she has a nasty habit? And why do you call it a 'she' anyway?" Jack caught on. He could catch a whiff of fear a mile away.

Seto sent a cold, calculating gaze the blond's way. "You'll see what I mean."

It was noted that the brunette was being wary. Bakura was surprisingly quiet on an opportunity such as this, but he was currently transfixed with the dome in front of them. Seto leaned over to snap his long digits in front of Bakura's face. The white haired Egyptian glared, and to everyone's surprise didn't retort.

"Let's split up into two groups. One of us is the distraction, while the other breaks into the main building." Seto instructed, already turning off the duel runner and getting off.

"If we're splitting up, then I'll stick with you. I don't trust you enough for all this help you've given us." Jack said, motioning to the brunette.

"Jack, I don't think –"

"It's better than you with Bakura. I fear one of you would end up as a stain on a wall if you two worked together." Seto interrupted Yusei's warning.

Jack narrowed his eyes. "Should I be worried for Yusei's safety?"

"Relax _Jack_, his soul is similar to Atemu's. I wouldn't dare harm him. Besides, he can take care of himself." Bakura scoffed, moving his D – Wheel away from the gate and next to Seto's.

The blond opened his mouth to retort. Yusei quickly grabbed his boyfriend's arm with a firm grip. There was no need to start a fight, especially not in front of the one place where the Holy Priests held so many of their victims' captive. They still had the element of surprise, and Yusei really didn't want a situation sprung because of Jack's temperamental attitude.

Jack quickly glanced down to Yusei's determined expression and his temper calmed down a few notches. When the shorter duelist had that expression, the blond knew Yusei would keep his word.

"I'll be fine Jack. Let's just get this over and done with. Aki, Ruka, and so many other people are trapped here too." The shorter duelist said calmly.

Reluctantly the blond let the matter go. Aki was a friend, even though they never fully expressed their bond (it was too awkward to start with), and the twins were like younger siblings to him. Although Jack wasn't that great with words, he will dutifully take a stand for his friends. Jack had always been better with taking action than negotiating. He's more of a "shoot now, ask questions later" sort of person.

"Will you be able to climb over the wall?" Seto briefly wondered. The wall he motioned towards was about a good three feet taller than the brunette.

"I'd be able to get over the gate." Bakura grinned before grabbing for the bars and climbed up the seven foot four inches with practiced ease.

Meanwhile Yusei and Jack wondered how in the world the white haired Egyptian can pull it off. Yusei grew suspicious that maybe Bakura had a lot of practice for such a feat, not that he'd be one to judge.

Before Satellite had reunited with its sister city Neo Domino, Yusei learned very quickly that you had to do what you had to do. And a lot of the time Yusei either fought or fled, which depended on the situation he had been in. From all the times he had run Yusei grew more agile, and with his shorter frame he could crawl into small spaces.

But this wall was a little out of his league. The lead Signer watched with a grim expression as Bakura leapt from halfway down of the other side without any trouble. The white haired Egyptian quickly glanced around for any guards.

"Huh…no guards? What a strange place this is." Bakura murmured to himself before glancing at the lead Signer. "So, are you coming or what? Seto's giving us a good few minute's heads start before he breaks that gate down."

Yusei swallowed a retort and gripped the bars and started to climb. At some point both Jack and Seto had to use their long arms to help Yusei regain balance when he was going over the edge. But overall the lead Signer didn't have too much trouble, and soon he was on the other side.

"All right, what's the meeting point?" Bakura asked.

"We'll find each other on the grounds somewhere." Seto half shrugged.

With a feral grin the white haired Egyptian broke off running towards the dome. With a yell Yusei quickly followed, he didn't want to be left behind. The lead Signer wasn't sure exactly what the plan was, but he knew it had something to do with the dome they were headed towards.

Upon reaching the dome, Bakura scanned the area for anything suspicious. Out of habit Yusei did the same, though with less paranoia in his eyes. Once it was confirmed that no guards stood near them the white haired Egyptian wordlessly summoned a monster to the skies above.

Yusei suppressed a shiver at the horrendous sight of it. The creature was dark, and of a deadly ancient appearance. While the top half seemed to take on a strange human appearance, the rest from the waist below was a snake. In all honesty the snake was what really frightened Yusei.

"What are you doing?" the lead Signer demanded.

"Making a grand entrance." Bakura grinned widely. "Seto and the others may be the distraction, but that doesn't mean we can't cause any damage of our own."

Eyes widening, Yusei used the few seconds head start to warn Aki through the bonds. He knew she can receive it, but for whatever reason she didn't respond. Before he could send another warning, Bakura ordered his monster to attack.

"Diabound, Spiral Wave!"

Yusei watched in horror as the dark creature broke through the thick roof with ease. And for a few brief moments the lead Signer was worried that the rubble that fell inside might have brought harm. But within a few seconds Diabound retreated from the hole it created to dodge an oncoming creature that let out a loud shriek as it freed itself from the dome.

He didn't have time to study what it was when he heard a familiar voice.

"Fly, Black Rose Dragon!" Aki's voice commanded.

The beautiful dragon roared as it tore through the opening, the black vines pushing through the roof and making the hole bigger. More rubble fell inside the building, but as Aki's dragon escaped some of the rubble was heading their way. Yusei and Bakura leapt out of the way in opposite directions.

Another explosion through a wall and Yusei had to stop to stay out of the way. The lead Signer opened his eyes to meet crimson red ones staring back in shock.

Both protectors froze at eye contact. The mark on Yusei's arm glowed brightly, warning him to be weary of this individual. Meanwhile a golden eye opened on the other's tanned forehead. Yusei was currently too entranced by the whine colored eyes to take notice of the third one.

They knew there was an instant connection between them. Yusei wasn't sure why, but despite the burning mark's warning about this man, he felt there was no danger. There's no way the other, Atemu he guessed, was a threat.

Meanwhile, Atemu was internally at war with himself. He knew now there was no turning back from the vision he saw during his duel against Aki. There was no choice in the matter, and Atemu couldn't shake the feeling that this was all meant to be.

'_If this was meant to be…then I have no choice but to accept it. But the vision I saw…I can't let it happen!'_ Atemu looked away, he felt too distraught over the strange current events.

Yusei blinked. Did something upset him? He opened his mouth, about to ask when a different voice interrupted him. It was a voice he didn't recognize, but the sound of the voice made Atemu tense.

"Now that's interesting. Even without the Sennen Puzzle, your third eye opens up. Could it be because of…Yusei Fudo? Who happens to bear the mark of the Crimson Dragon?" a man cloaked in a black robe and hood overshadowing half his face stepped out of the shadows.

Yusei didn't mean to step back. The mark on his arm was burning with fury, and the intense sensation overwhelmed him for a bit. Yusei gripped a hand over the mark in hopes to calm it down. He hadn't felt this kind of burn from the Crimson Dragon since the first duel against Dark Signer Kiryu.

"You know of us?" Yusei narrowed his eyes at the stranger.

"I know that Team 5D's have a special trait." The man smiled wickedly. "It wasn't until we successfully captured Aki Izayoi, the infamous Black Rose and the child."

"You set this up…? And what were you planning to do, after you figured it all out?" Atemu spoke with repressed anger.

"I was thinking of experimenting on both of you, to see if I can combine both powers of the Egyptian Gods and the Crimson Dragon." Ares' smile broadened.

Yusei shivered at the dark tone. Atemu merely growled.

"I've had enough of you and your sick plans, Ares. You may have been able to get away with experimenting on me, but to do such things on Yusei will bring severe consequences. And I won't let it happen. It's my job to eliminate any threat who knows too much about us." Atemu narrowed his eyes, the crimson color darkened and burned with so much hatred.

"And how do you plan on eliminating me, Desert Prince?" the cloaked man tilted his head, as if taunting Atemu.

"It's game time."

=3=

The moment Bakura had torn a hole into the roof of the dome Seto managed to unlock the gate. The brunette had gone over the plan with the other two (Crow had arrived just seconds after Yusei ran with Bakura) that they can roam around the grounds or enter the main building and cause havoc. For whatever reason Jack seemed intent to follow Seto.

This was a small drawback for the brunette. He had planned beforehand to locate whatever room had the files of Atemu and eliminate them. If Jack was to be his shadow, then Seto can't destroy the files. It would raise too many questions, questions that Seto will be unable to answer. And the blond will be too temperamental to care for any excuses he will give him.

So as a last minute plan Seto grabbed an empty flash drive before he sprinted across the grounds into the main building. His hand had moved so fast Jack didn't have time to see what was grabbed, but he still followed the tall brunette.

Jack had a bad feeling about these two people since the first moment they met. Bakura happened to have white hair and a sharp and built figure, the description held a strange resemblance to Kiryu. The thought of Kiryu made Jack's blood boil with rage. And so in an instant he wasn't particularly fond of Bakura at all. It didn't help that Bakura had tried to set him up for a stab in the chest.

Seto, however, was a different matter. Jack didn't know what to think about the brunette. While Bakura was a sadistic, bold bastard, Seto was colder, distant, and far more dangerous. To the blond, the white haired Egyptian was far easier to read. But that didn't mean Jack wouldn't keep a good eye on Bakura. And too much of Seto reminded Jack of himself.

That was what bothered Jack the most. Looking at Seto was like looking at a mirror of himself. Although the reflection was different, Jack could still see many similarities. Both hold a huge air of confidence and pride. It was all in the way Seto presented himself. He walked in long, calm strides as if he was strutting around and owned everything.

And for most of the previous night, Jack spent the entire time studying Seto. There was no doubt that the brunette had studied him too. In fact, Jack didn't care that he was being observed right back. It meant that Seto was aware of him. Being aware of him was good in Jack's eyes, for it meant that Seto knew that he was not just anyone to mess with.

They were two dominant males with an equal amount of pride and arrogance. If they were to fight, whether it is dueling or physical, neither of them will back down. Things would turn ugly, and rather drawn out. Jack doubted that Yusei and Atemu's efforts combined would be able to stop them.

All that Jack could gather was that Seto held too many similarities to him for comfort. The blond didn't know how there would be differences other than appearance. Even then that list was relatively small.

It would be better if they faced each other in a duel. Although Jack was fairly bold in his dueling, he can still tell exactly how to read his opponent through what types of monsters they have, their tricks to evade tight corners, and how complicated their strategies may be.

The cards don't lie, and it would surprise many people what they reveal about someone. Even Jack himself can be caught off guard, and since he changed his values from the days of the Dark Signers Jack had started to pay attention on how the decks of his opponents reflect the opponent themselves. It helped the blond figure out how to read his opponent's strategy earlier into the duel, so it was a bonus to Jack.

But he didn't tell the others of his discovery. One, half of them already figured this out on their own. Yusei especially knew this for a very long time. From the start Yusei was smart enough to try to read his opponent and strategize a counterattack of his own while Jack preferred to jump the gun and summon Red Demon Dragon or a strong monster as fast as possible. Plus, the others wouldn't expect Jack to say such things. If anything some of them would have a heart attack if he were to bring up it up (coughCrowcough).

Jack was brought out of his musings when he realized that they had somehow breached some sort of office in a large room. Upon looking around he saw endless rows of computers. For a few moments Jack stood there in mild shock, not realizing at first that Seto was shuffling through the main computer at the front of the room.

The blond took another glance over the place and realized something.

"This is…"

"A classroom." Seto finished. "Whoever these four Holy Priests are, they're not alone. They're probably an organization, even teaching or preaching to others how their research will bring justice or whatever their objectives are. The students probably watch the experiments as they happen, taking notes of anything significant. This way the Holy Priests can have many opinions and narrow down who among their victims have the most power."

Jack stared at the brunette with awe. His eyes were wide and mouth slightly agape.

"And you figured all of this out from an empty classroom full of computers…have you thought of becoming a detective or something?" the blond inquired. He was suspicious as to how quickly Seto came to this conclusion, that maybe in some way he was tied to the Holy Priests.

"It crossed my mind a few times. But in the end I can never take that path." Seto replied dryly.

"What prevented you from that path?" Jack frowned, eyes narrowing.

"Fate happened." The way he said 'fate' seemed as if he was irritated with the word. "Or, for a better description, Atemu happened."

"This might be a little late, but what are you doing?" Jack crossed his arms.

"I'm going to copy every file they have of Atemu, and then destroy the originals." Seto had no choice but to tell the truth. He couldn't afford a fight with the blond considering how little time they have until someone was able to contact the authorities.

"Why are you copying them? You can just save the trouble and simply destroy 'em." Jack wondered out loud.

"I have to observe them, and see if whatever they've done to him would leave permanent damage. I can only do so much in the doctoring field, and although watching what they did will piss me off I have to know Atemu's condition. I have to know if he'll have any sort of trauma, nervous system problems, whether anything can be temporary or permanent damage." Seto answered as he found the files.

"Damn, there's a lot of files." The brunette cursed.

"Are you going to be able to save all of them?" Jack made his way closer.

"I should be able to." Seto inserted the empty flash drive, his hands quickly working at setting up copying the entire file.

The flash drive's light blinked on and off as it stored its information. Once Seto knew that there would be no problems, he opened up the link to all of the security cameras.

"What are you doing now?" Jack crossed his arms, peering closer over the brunette's shoulder.

"I'm trying to locate all of the victims in this vicinity. And it looks like they're all in the west wing…" Seto paused to stare at the energy shields that held the captives' inside their cells. "I wonder if…"

"What? What are you mumbling about?"

"I'm wondering if I'll be able to open them from here." Within a few minutes Seto had hacked into the security system and opened all of the cells. At first nothing happened, but a few confused and amazed prisoners cautiously stepped out.

"They're free. And now to locate Atemu…" Seto changed the camera views to the ones outside.

It was at that moment Jack's mark burned through the jacket. The blond gasped at the sudden rush of pain and gripped his right arm in protest. He didn't know what the Crimson Dragon was reacting to, but whatever it was had to be pretty darn serious. And a feeling in Jack's gut told him that Yusei and Aki were near the threat.

Then the cameras that had Atemu in their view popped up on the large screen. What they saw made Seto curse in every language he knew while Jack stared with a horrified expression.

=3=

"Game, you say? What kind of game?" Ares echoed, now intrigued.

"Yami no Game." Atemu smirked confidently. Before anyone could react, the Egyptian went on.

"The rules are simple. We both summon only one monster. In a way this is like duel monsters, but not too complicated. Our monsters attack each other to their deaths. The victor walks away with the Sennen Puzzle and with their life. The loser, however, will walk in the shadows of darkness for eternity." Atemu did not wish to demonstrate such powers in front of Yusei, but if there was one way to scare him off it was this.

He wasn't sure if it would work anyway. In the end Yusei would only take pity on him. Atemu didn't want such pity from the Signers. But this was a good demonstration of his powers, and that he although small, he was not someone to smile and greet everyday like an old friend.

But there was still a chance, a last ditch chance for Atemu to evade the vision the Sennen Necklace showed him. If there had been more peaceful circumstances Atemu wouldn't mind befriending Yusei and the others. In fact he envied their deep friendship. The former pharaoh found them refreshing, a friendship he hadn't seen since he shared a body with his aibou.

"You sure you want to do this? Those stakes are rather high…" Yusei piped up with concern.

"Yusei, if there's one thing I can brag about, it's this." Atemu began as the half turned to the lead Signer. "I'm the King of Games, and I've done this enough times that I don't have to worry about losing."

Yusei furrowed his eyebrows. How can one person have so much confidence within himself?

"I accept these terms. When do we start?" Ares spoke.

"We start now. And remember, we can only choose one monster. This is only a round one duel, so choose wisely." Atemu smirked, as if he gained even more confidence.

"Can we even choose synchro monsters?"

"Any monster as long as it's not a set."

Ares frowned at the indication that monsters such as Exodia were not allowed, but he didn't mind too much of the rules. Besides, his focus weren't that high on small chances in claiming victories with Exodia. That kind of victory happened only once.

"Then I choose…my trump card Ibong Adarna the Singing Bird (ATK/2600 DEF/2200)!"

From the duel disk a giant green and blue bird with a bright orange head and a very long tail that had multiple metallic colors. At the sight of the beautiful tail, both Atemu and Yusei stared in a small trance as the tail seemed to change colors.

"I have to say, this is one of the prettiest opponents I've faced. But beautiful or not, I'm not going to go down without a serious fight." Atemu said, shaking his head to snap out of his trance.

Yusei was snapped out of his staring at the bird when he heard distant voices. Breaking eye contact with the monster he turned to see an irritated Bakura and a furious Aki heading towards them. Distracted, Atemu half turned to watch them with only a mild interest.

"You're a strange one, and you should be lucky I didn't make my dragon destroy you when you grabbed me and pulled me out of that building." Aki huffed as she did her best to wipe off the grass stains on her skirt.

"Well _sorry_ for saving your pretty little ass." The white haired Egyptian scowled.

Within seconds Bakura doubled over at the sudden kick at his guts from the redhead. He seriously didn't think the girl had the guts.

"What the hell was that for! You're lucky that wasn't my groin you little –"

"Bakura!" Atemu interrupted. "Stop yelling at the girl and make sure that these two stay out of my way!"

"Yeah, yeah." The white haired Egyptian waved off. "But if I get to babysit the Signers, then can I have the loser's soul when you're done?"

Both Yusei and Aki stared at Bakura with horrified expressions. What nearly gave them heart attacks was Bakura's former missing leader's reply.

"Sure. You can do whatever you want with it." Atemu shrugged.

The white haired Egyptian raised a brow before commenting, "You must really hate this guy's guts for giving me permission to torture the poor unfortunate soul."

"Can we just get this over and done with? I'd like to play this little game of yours within…oh, how about today?" Ares snapped, growing annoyed with their conversation.

"Fine, Mr. Impatient, I'll summon my monster." Atemu resisted the temptation of rolling his eyes and spread out his arms like an eagle.

The third eye on his forehead glowed brighter, as a golden aura surrounded the leader of the Three Noblemen Team. His voice deepened as it became more melodious as he began to chant.

"Almighty protector of sun and sky, I beg thee, please head my cry. Transform thyself from orb of light and bring me victory in this fight. I beseech thee, grace our humble game. But first I shall call out thy name…" Atemu's eyes opened, revealing violet red orbs.

Both Yusei and Aki saw the sudden changes, but didn't say a word. They were too anxious to see what Atemu would summon. Suddenly their marks glowed brightly on their arms, reacting to the amount of power gathering before them.

"Winged Dragon of Ra!"

Far above them, a golden orb materialized out of thin air. The orb seemed to harbor the same burning light as the sun, but that was soon disintegrated when two wings protruded from it. And soon the rest of the body uncurled itself from the golden ball and roared to the clear blue skies above.

"Wh – what the…?" Ares stepped back a couple steps.

"Remember what I told you from the beginning, that I was a living, breathing god? Well here's the perfect example. From the connection to my Sennen Puzzle, I can summon any of the three Egyptian gods. I normally don't resort to Ra, but considering the fact you deserve what _true_ fear and _true_ pain is like, I figured Ra was the best monster to do it." Atemu crossed his arms.

Yusei's arm was shaking under the intense pressure. For whatever reason the Crimson Dragon did not like Ra, but he still couldn't help but stand where he was and admire the powerful creature. He remembered when he was still a small child Martha would tell him stories of the Egyptian God Cards. She said that there were only three of them, and that the creator of duel monsters created only one set. But the cards mysteriously went missing, or so it was claimed by the original King of Games, Yuugi Mutou.

'_This has to be one of those Egyptian Gods. And from the amount of power and light coming from it…it has to be the strongest of the three. But why does the Crimson Dragon want us to stay away from it?'_ Yusei furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

'_They're both protectors, and creatures of light…aren't they?'_

The leader of Team 5D's then glanced at Atemu. Since the few minutes they've met, he's been giving off mixed signals of power that was either light or dark. Was Atemu the reason behind the Crimson Dragon's anxiety? If so, then why?

Now wasn't the time to ask. All Yusei could do was watch, and wait for Atemu to win the Yami no Game. Afterwards, maybe he'll give the answers Yusei needed to know.

=3=

Death: Buwahahaha! Yes, that's right, I'm bringing back the Yami no Games! For those of you who haven't seen Yugioh season Zero, I suggest you either read or watch them. Yami no Yuugi was so, **_so_** kick ass in that season. Then Seto's cheap trick happened in Pegasus' tournament and Yami was from then on, soft. Well...that was until the Oricalchos season, but that was a looong time after Pegasus' tournament. Btw, I would suggest you read season Zero, unless you're ok with reading subs because that season was too "violent" for an english dub. It's probably why they dummed down the original so much and made it so annoying...

1) Ibong Adarna: a legendary bird of the Philippines. It is believed to have a very long fancy tail, with numerous shiny metallic colors. It knows a total of seven songs that are believed to lull anyone to sleep as well as cure any type of afflictions; it changes its feathers into more colorful hues and shades after each song. After the last song, it excretes waste, then finally, sleeps with its eyes wide open. Its dung (poop) can turn any living organism into stone.

2) I'm not sure if anyone's noticed, but there are two chants for the Winged Dragon of Ra. And to be sure that no one is confused when looking up the change, the one I used in this chapter is the one Atemu uses when he summons Ra in his final duel against Yuugi. The other one is the one Yami no Marik uses, and it goes like this: _Great beast of the sky, please hear my cry. Transform thyself from orb of light and bring me victory in this fight. Evelope the desert with your glow and cast your rage upon my foe. Unlock your powers from deep wihin so that together we may win. Appear now in this Shadow Game as I call your name, Winged Dragon of Ra!_

And so, now all of that is cleared up, please do this author a favor and click the lovely review button below and tell me what you think! x3


	7. Fate Can Never Be Avoided

Death: I apologize that this took a bit, and summer has just started two weeks ago for me, and hopefully I can get a lot of updating done. Anyway, at least I graduated high school, so hopefully when I'm not studying in college my time on updating can be a little more flexible. Anyway, I made this chapter extra long and amusing to make up for the waiting, so enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing

**Chapter 7** Fate Can Never Be Avoided

=3=

Bakura stared wide eyed at the golden god. It had been years since he felt the presence of such raw power from this Egyptian god. But even with its supposed pure power, the white haired Egyptian felt that something was off. His gaze lowered to the young man who summoned Ra, who was now smirking in a way that reminded the thief of himself. Those eyes that Bakura had grown to love over the past decade were burning with an intense fire that was not normal for Atemu.

Something about the Atemu had changed. Bakura didn't know what the so called priests did to him, but it had to be serious enough for the former pharaoh to behave in an almost mirror image of Bakura in his Thief King days. In fact, the first warning should have been the moment where Atemu actually gave him permission to torture the soul of this leader of the Holy Priests.

'_Something about him has changed…what happened to you, Atemu?'_ Bakura furrowed his eyebrows worry.

A memory of the last time the three of them were so relaxed came to the thief's mind. The memory was from just a few days before Atemu had gone out and never came back. It was the last fond memory Bakura had of the former pharaoh.

_Flashback_

_Bakura had just finished unpacking in their new temporary apartment. He was heading towards the kitchen for something to drink when he passed the couch. Sprawled lazily over it was Atemu and his bags of his beloved clothes were lying all over the floor. _

_Curious, the thief moved closer, careful not to trip over the bags. Atemu's eyelids were closed and his tempting lips slightly agape. They had arrived into the city on one of their private planes mere hours beforehand. Atemu was not fond of long flights, and preferred to stay awake almost the entire time until fatigue took control. _

_The white haired Egyptian raised an eyebrow when the former pharaoh's hand twitched. Without any other warning Atemu suddenly lashed out and pulled Bakura on top, laughing heartily as he wrapped his arms around the thief's broad shoulders._

"_Oi! Don't do that!" Bakura yelled, but accepted the embrace anyway. He even snuggled a little into the delectable neck he oh so loved to mark whenever he had the chance._

"_I caught you!" Atemu giggled, squirming from the feathery white hair tickling his neck and shoulder._

"_You're lively for someone who traveled on one of our private jets." Bakura chuckled before adding, "You usually don't get much sleep when we travel."_

"_Seto sneaked in a sleeping pill when I wasn't looking." the former pharaoh pouted as he traced random designs all over Bakura's shoulders and back. The thief grinned._

"_The priest is getting sneakier." Bakura commented. So long as it wasn't too over the top, Seto was indeed looking out for Atemu's health. _

_Unlike the first two lifetimes, their original lives and the second time around with Yuugi and his gang, Atemu's body was weaker concerning health. He had more trouble getting over colds and the flu than normal. And so Seto made it his duty to be the doctor among them. Although sometimes the high priest broke through the Seto Kaiba pride and may have overdone it. _

"_Just as I am getting better at fooling you, thief." Atemu giggled, now wrapping his legs around the other's waist._

"_Yes, and right now you're tempting me, pharaoh." The thief's eyes darkened. "I'm not sure if I should take up on this offer of yours."_

"_Doesn't matter if you do or not, I just wanted to snuggle." Atemu smiled, happily leaning up for a brief kiss._

_Barely two seconds into the kiss, the high priest walked in. Over the years Seto had grown used to walking into situations similar to this, although many of those times there were less clothing and more furious make out session. Usually Seto would silently walk out and leave them be, however, since he made plans to set up his work in the living room he was rather irritated at their make out._

"_That better not escalate to your passionate love making. I have work to do." Seto said, not bothering for a reply as he began to set up his laptop on the desk._

_Bakura pulled back to grin at the former high priest. Playing along Atemu smirked playfully at his cousin._

"_What's the matter, O almighty one? You don't like the sight of us making love?" the former thief chuckled._

"_Or are you worried about my health?" Atemu teased, nuzzling a little into Bakura's neck playfully._

"_Actually, what you need to do is finish unpacking. That mess should not be on the floor." Seto replied dryly._

"_Aw, but Seto, I don't want to." The former pharaoh whined._

"_Better now than later, when you really don't want to do it." The brunette scoffed. _

"_Let him be, priest. 'Sides, we're kinda busy snuggling here." Bakura nuzzled further into Atemu's chest, earning a few more giggles. _

_Seto turned his gaze away with a soft 'humph', as if letting the matter go. It was within the former pharaoh's nature to be playful, and today was one of those times. If he didn't know any better, the brunette would miss the fact that it was Atemu's way of forgetting the event that forced them to move. Bakura knew of this too, which was why he played along with their leader's childish snuggling._

"_Is there, by any chance that someone out there that can recognize us?" Atemu asked a loud._

"_No, they shouldn't. We look different from our previous lives. And we're not exactly known in Japan, I've double checked." Seto replied._

"_That's good then. I'd like to take a tour around the city, see all of the changes from over the years. But…something has been bothering me." Atemu tilted his head as he raised a hand to gently twirl the soft white hair._

"_Such as?" Bakura raised a brow._

"_Why are we here?"_

"_What do you mean? You chose to come here."Seto paused in his typing to glance at the pair on the couch._

"_No, I don't mean it like that. I meant, why were we granted a promise of peace, only to be spat out of the afterlife to become some guardians of this world?" Something about Atemu's voice seemed off, but Bakura wasn't paying attention. _

_Bakura was more worried about Atemu's question, which neither he or the high priest knew how to answer._

_End of Flashback_

Bakura cursed himself. Why didn't he see it? Why didn't he notice, it was so damn obvious! Atemu had been in a bad state of mind even then, just before those damn Holy Priests kidnapped him. The white haired Egyptian clenched his hands into tight fists.

'_How could I have been so blind?'_ Bakura narrowed his eyes up at the battle above. In current events the bird he didn't bother to remember what it was called was flying circles around Ra. But the thief wasn't worried. Ra can bring down that stupid bird in no time.

No, what worried Bakura the most was Atemu's current state of mind.

"Why is the mark reacting? It burns…" Aki whimpered from the pain.

"It's reacting because of Atemu." Yusei replied, wincing from the mark on his arm.

'_He already figured it out?'_ Bakura eyed the lead Signer with suspicion.

"Atemu…of course! There's darkness within him, enough that his monster, Nightshade Dragon, took control of his body in our duel!" Aki exclaimed, there appeared to be a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"Nightshade Dragon?" Yusei tilted his head, never heard of the name.

'_Nightshade? So it was her that escaped from the dome. Then where is she? Atemu didn't withdraw her…wait! That signer said Nightshade took control in their duel! That's not going to help us in this situation at all!'_ Bakura nearly growled. And before Yusei could ask about Nightshade the white haired Egyptian joined in the conversation.

"So, he summoned Nightshade Dragon in a duel against you?"

Half surprised, and still keeping her guard up, Aki glared at the man who had pulled her out of harm's way when parts of the roof would have crushed her. She felt grateful for his rescue, but her gut churned every moment she set eyes on him. He made her uneasy. It could be just because of the scar on his face, or the rough, yet seductive voice that reminded Aki of a ghost or a demon luring its victims into the darkness. But deep down, Aki knew, the Crimson Dragon had a part of her uneasiness around him.

"Yeah, and a feminine dark voice took over Atemu's voice." Aki answered.

"A feminine dark voice?" Yusei echoed.

"That's Nightshade all right." Bakura narrowed his eyes. "So tell me, what did she say?"

"Why do you want to know? I don't even know your name! And how do you know of Nightshade Dragon?" Aki tensed up, her power flaring.

"Calm down! I've known Atemu for the past decade or so, and Nightshade was never in his possession until three years ago. Whenever she takes control, that damn dragon tends to talk too much. I can't have secrets of us be revealed to the public." Bakura backed off a few steps. "Now would you please, keep your powers under control! You'll only attract unwanted attention from the other Holy Priests!"

Aki hesitated, only for a moment. She was still thinking over the information the white haired Egyptian had given. Yusei gently grabbed her arm, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Please, Aki, calm down." The lead Signer's voice was calm, and possibly a little soft for her to pay attention.

And with such a request from Yusei, Aki withdrew her powers for the moment. The redhead wearily glanced over at the white haired Egyptian.

"She said something about a pact she created with Atemu, and because of it she's able to take control of his body by squeezing through his mental shields. That was all she said of Atemu. From then on she only taunted me." Aki explained, leaving out the slip of information about a soul room.

Bakura narrowed his eyes, but said nothing more. After a few moments his gaze returned to the golden dragon above them as it roared.

=3=

Atemu felt exhilarated. It had been many years since he felt the raw power of the Egyptian gods flow through his veins. Such power was what he respected, admired, and feared all at the same time. Atemu respected the Egyptian gods because they had chosen him, and because they were so strong he must be careful they shouldn't fall into the wrong hands. He admired their power, as anyone else would, but at the same time he feared them.

Yes, Atemu feared them. The first time he had summoned Slifer, he had been timid. He feared that he might lose himself with Slifer's power flowing through his body, through his very core. But that first time of summoning Slifer, he had faced Bakura. Atemu learned then that in order to summon the gods, he must use their abilities and power to their fullest. If he had not summoned Slifer in that duel, his chances of losing to Seto Kaiba in the semi finals would have been greater.

Opening his eyes, Atemu gazed up at the battle above. Ares' spectacular bird had yet to land an attack on Ra, as the golden god used the wind currents far above for its speed. Luckily, Ibong Adarna the Singing Bird, nor its owner Ares, caught on as to why Ra has an enormous amount of speed for a creature of its size.

'_If only Ra can get enough distance for its own attack…'_ Atemu narrowed his eyes.

"This is amazing, absolutely amazing." Ares commented. "To be fighting against the Winged Dragon of Ra, I can feel its power from here. Such an amazing power, you are indeed a walking god, Desert Prince!"

"I am not one to fall for such petty flattery, Ares." Atemu replied darkly.

"Of course, you've never fallen for my trickery." the hooded priest smirked.

The former pharaoh couldn't hold back a scowl, Ares was up to something. That man is scheming. What worried Atemu was that Ares didn't appear to be too bothered by the idea of facing Ra. Normally someone would be afraid, even just a little. But Ares was different. He's not bothered at all that he's facing the most powerful of the three Egyptian gods.

'_If he's not afraid…I guess it won't hurt to try that.'_ Atemu smirked.

"Oh? And what's so funny, Desert Prince?" Ares pondered.

"I've had enough of these childish games. It's about time Ra transforms, don't you think?" the former pharaoh taunted.

"Ha! I've been wondering when you'll be transforming Ra. I was getting worried you were losing your touch, Atemu." Bakura commented with a wide grin.

"Ra can transform?" Aki tilted her head.

"Into what?" Yusei added.

"Ra, it's time! Gain flight, and transform into your ultimate form! Let the flames of light engulf you, until you're the burning phoenix with the power of the sun!" Atemu's voice became less dark as he gave this order.

The golden god roared to the skies above before it gained more altitude. As Ra flew up its body glowed a bright yellow and orange. Flames engulfed Ra's body as the tail and wings became more bird than dragon. The burning phoenix let out a terrifying shriek as its transformation was complete. Ra twirled itself around to face the other bird.

However, Ibong Adarna the Singing Bird, stopped in its tracks. Confused, Atemu stared at the battle above.

'_What's going on?'_ The former pharaoh furrowed his eyebrows.

"—emu! Atemu! Look out!"

Atemu's eyes widened at the sound of Seto's voice. He lowered his gaze to Ares, who was almost upon him with a knife at hand. Atemu quickly dodged out of the way, while at the same time he grabbed for Ares' shoulder and pushed him down. Ares fell to the ground with a scream that made everyone's blood run cold.

"You disappointed me, Ares. I was really looking forward to your body burning with your precious bird." Atemu sighed. "Oh well, I guess the Penalty Game will suffice."

"Atemu, he already stabbed himself. He'll be dead in a few minutes, he doesn't need the penalty." Seto frowned.

"You forget that in a Yami No Game, there are consequences for one's actions. This man tried to cheat his way into winning. And in the All Seeing Eye, it's clear that Ares deserves the punishment that was promised to the person who lost. There are no exceptions, no matter how much you or I wish it. Since he lost…" Atemu knelt down to grab the Sennen Puzzle. "I obtain what he stole from me."

Just as the Egyptian picked up the golden pyramid, Ra suddenly shrunk into a thin line of light. Within seconds the Egyptian god returned to the puzzle, back to its sweet slumber. Atemu felt the corners of his mouth tug into a small smile. The gods didn't seem to bother about the circumstances of their return, but more content to be of any help to him.

"Bakura, I believe I promised you a soul. Well here it is." Atemu motioned to Ares. "Do whatever you wish, but please don't leave a huge mess."

The white haired Egyptian only grinned in return. Smirking, Atemu began to walk away, heading towards the front gate.

"Hold it! What kind of person hands over a soul to that freak?" Jack pointed at Bakura.

"Freak? You might as well speak for all of us." Atemu replied darkly, eyes narrowing at the blond who dared to speak to his lover that way.

At his statement, everyone stared at the leader of the Three Nobleman Team in shock. But despite their stares, Atemu went on.

"After all, you're Star Children, servants of the Crimson Dragon, am I right? All of you have your own strengths and weaknesses, but together you make the 'Dream Team', or from what I've seen from afar you have. And although we're not of the same standards as your team, that doesn't mean we're not normal. No, we're far from it. I can tell with your eyes that you want to call us monsters, but if that is indeed what we are then what are you? We're both protectors, aren't we? Wouldn't that mean you'd be monsters too?"

"It's not that! We know nothing of you, so we can't exactly judge from what we see. However, that doesn't mean we're suspicious because of the powers that you've shown. And what kind of person creates a Yami No Game?" Yusei stepped forward, ignoring the glares from Bakura and Seto.

The lead Signer was glaring at the former pharaoh with a mix of hatred and fear. But in those deep blue eyes, there was a very small hint of understanding. However the fear of Atemu and his group overflowed his thought of reasoning.

"No human created the Yami No Game. The creator was nothing but a fiend that was desperate enough to resort to the powers of darkness in his jealousy of his own brother, who held all the power of the people because of his kind heart and arms outstretched towards them with the promise of protection and love. And with that jealousy, there became a chain of events that could never be reversed." Atemu replied, his hard gaze now on Yusei.

Sirens were heard in the air, coming closer. The police that Crow had called out to earlier were now minutes away. The former pharaoh glanced at his taller cousin.

"I believe my D-Wheel is in the storage on the other side of the main building." The smaller Egyptian said.

"We can retrieve it later. Right now I only want you out of the way of the police and the press." Seto replied with a hint of urgency in his voice.

"In a moment." Atemu nearly rolled his eyes.

'_Nightshade, return to me. I know you're still flying above us.'_ He contacted through their link.

'_Very well, child.'_ She hissed in return.

Atemu looked up into the skies in search for his dragon's dive. Within seconds he spotted her immediately, as Nightshade dove with high speed towards the ground. Gasps were heard around him as the black dragon spread her leathery wings at the last minute, a deep rumble was heard as she passed over them. Atemu laughed with her when Jack and Aki ducked out of fear.

"So…that is Nightshade?" Yusei watched the dragon with wide eyes.

"That's her all right. She's a demon, that one." Aki answered bitterly.

"Nightshade is not a demon! She's a dragon with a good heart." A young voice, not Atemu's, yelled. Everyone glanced over to see Ruka and Crow running towards them.

"Ruka!" Both Yusei and Aki called out as they headed towards the small child full of worry and relief.

"Hey! Don't forget about me! I was the one who found her." Crow whined.

"Oh, good job Crow." Yusei patted his shoulder in a small gesture of comfort.

"Yeah, yeah." The smaller teen grinned.

"Are you all right? They didn't hurt you, did they?" Aki knelt down to meet Ruka at her eye level.

"No, they mostly left me alone. Someone turned off those shield things that kept everyone in their cells. It took me some time to finally find my way outside, but I'm glad I did before Atemu had to leave! Is he all right? He's not in pain, is he?" Ruka frowned with worry.

"No, I don't think he's in pain." Aki shook her head.

The small girl let out a soft sigh. "That's good."

Atemu held back his own relief to call out to her. She did not belong in his group, but that didn't mean he didn't hold back a soft smile now that she's safe. Without Aki or Atemu there, he was worried the Holy Priests would have tried something with the youngest Star Child.

'_Hey, you called me to return to you. The least you can do is pay attention!'_ Nightshade growled impatiently.

'_My apologizes.'_ Atemu smiled at the dragon as she glowed and shrunk into a thin line of light. Instead of returning into the Sennen Puzzle, Nightshade transformed back into a card that circled around the former pharaoh once before he reached out and grabbed it.

"If Nightshade was still flying about, why didn't you use her against Ares?" Seto crossed his arms.

"I was using Ra as a last ditch effort to make them so afraid of us that our fates wouldn't intertwine." Atemu motioned to the Signers with his eyes. "But I have a feeling that plan backfired."

"I'm afraid it gets worse." The brunette added.

"What?" Atemu furrowed his eyebrows with confusion.

"We'll discuss it later." Seto whispered as he looked away, not wishing to meet his leader's eyes.

Atemu simply shrugged. He turned to the others with a taunting smirk.

"Let's go. Unless you wish to witness Bakura at his work, then be my guest."

From the disgusted expressions on their faces, the Star Children immediately chose not to stick around Bakura. The Signers hesitated for a moment, but followed Atemu and Seto towards the gate. Along the way Atemu decided to be kind and give them a warning.

"Before you get any ideas, Signers, let me explain myself. I only initiate the Yami No Game when someone has done horrible things to the people around me. This may sound strange coming from me, but I don't care what he's done to me. But the fact he wanted to try something with the two girls, and later on you, I wouldn't stand for it. After all, it is within my nature to protect anyone whose life is being threatened."

"How come you don't care for what they did to you?" Aki spoke first.

"It's not that I don't care, I just bid my time and waited for the opportune moment. So long as they concentrated solely on me, then no one else they've caught would experience the same…experiments, shall I say, that they did to me." Atemu half smiled. "Besides, its Seto's job when it concerns my health. You could say he can be a motherly hen at times."

"Motherly hen?" Seto echoed with a cold glare. "I am certainly _not_ a motherly hen, _Pharos_."

"Oh please, you didn't forget the whole reason why I ended up in this hell hole in the first place did you? Wasn't it you who said that no one here would be able to recognize us, so it was safe to take a tour around the city? Instead you wished that I stayed inside at all times and not venture out unless we needed food and other necessities. Being as stubborn as I was, I left in the middle of the night because you said not to. Do not forget I have forgotten that little scenario, Seto." Atemu retorted.

"Don't you dare put the blame on me! At the very least you could have taken Bakura with you!" Seto snapped.

"Don't drag Bakura into this argument. He was asleep before I even decided to make my escape. And do you know why I chose to come to Neo Domino City? Ne, Seto? It was because that if I was forced to some vacation, I could at least have some fun and privacy from the press at the same time. The country of Japan knows nothing of us, since we're champions of Egypt and all of Africa, to Japan we're nothing. Therefore we didn't have the stress of the press breathing down our necks when we moved here temporarily." The former pharaoh raised his voice.

"You three were forced into taking a vacation?" Jack interrupted their argument.

"It wasn't our fault –"

"Oh please, if only you kept Bakura on a tighter leash then none of this would have happened." Seto rolled his eyes.

"As much as I'd love to turn back the hands of time I am afraid it is not within my power. And so what? What if I had kept Bakura on a tighter leash, would it be better if he snapped, with the cameras rolling, in front of an audience of what we're capable of, then the whole world knew what we are? Would that be better than our fates intertwining with the Star Children? Tell me Seto, which is better." Atemu argued back.

"We're never supposed to have even met _any_ of them!" The brunette yelled.

"Too bad, fate willed it to happen. And now we're stuck being their allies whether we like it or not." Atemu stopped walking all together. "Besides, during my duel against Aki, the Sennen Necklace showed me a vision. Although I fear it, the vision will come true."

Seto didn't know how to reply to that. For one, he didn't trust the Sennen Necklace, no not at all. Usually he'd voice his opinion of that particular Sennen item, but the sincerity in Atemu's voice prevented him to do so. If the former pharaoh truly believed that what he saw was true, then there was no doubt that it would. Atemu himself doesn't trust the Sennen Necklace, but if he believed this vision that strongly simply by meeting the other Star Children then Atemu would not hear any protests.

"…I'm at a complete loss now." Crow groaned, rubbing his forehead in hopes to clear away a headache he could feel coming along.

"Look I…" Atemu paused as he half turned to meet the other's gaze. "Can you give us time to tell you what we are? We'll answer all of your questions just…not now. I'm exhausted, and I need you guys to trust me on this. You need a clear and open mind in order to listen to me, right now you're all confused and side tracked with other things."

Yusei glimpsed over at the others for a silent confirmation.

"Eh, I'd say go ahead with giving them some time." Crow was the first to recover. "I mean, we need to take Aki and Ruka to their homes."

"I…I'd like to know more about them, but earlier Atemu was in pain. I think its best he recovers first." Ruka spoke nervously, but still there had been a hint of truth in her timid voice.

"I agree with Ruka-chan." Aki added.

Yusei turned to Jack, who had remained rather quiet despite his short temper and rude comments. The blond raised a brow in question. In turn Yusei frowned.

"Jack…"

"Oh, fine. But in return we get to claim their leader's D-Wheel from Ushio." the blond crossed his arms.

"For all we know you'd tear it apart. I built that D-Wheel from scrap, and I'm not going to stand by and allow some arrogant boy ruin it." Seto narrowed his cold eyes.

"Don't call me arrogant! And I'm no boy, we're around the same age aren't we? And we won't do anything to it. You guys will have it back once you've explained everything to us." Jack shrugged, not at all affected by the cold glare.

"Fine, we have a deal." Atemu intercepted just as Seto was about to turn the negotiation into another argument.

"How are you going to contact us when you're ready?" Yusei inquired.

"Well how did they contact you?" Atemu raised an eyebrow.

"They found us on the highway and motioned us to pull over." The lead Signer replied.

"Oh…" Atemu frowned.

"How about we meet at the Blue Eyes Café? Jack goes there every day, so when you're ready to answer our questions you can meet up with him first and we can go on from there." Yusei suggested.

"Sure, it sounds like something Seto will go to anyway." Atemu smirked playfully.

Seto's left eye twitched, but kept the retort inside his head. And to his luck (or maybe not…) Bakura had just returned to join them.

"Well that was fun." The white haired Egyptian chuckled, clearly enjoying the shivers everyone was having from his presence.

Bakura was about to lick his lips to add further to their awkward thoughts when Atemu nearly slapped the tips of his fingers over them.

"You will not creep them out, you hear me?"

The white haired Egyptian only grinned in response. Atemu cautiously, and reluctantly, withdrew his hand from the thief's face.

Jack leaned over to whisper into Yusei's ear. "See? I told you they were bed buddies."

To the blond's surprise Yusei leaned closer to reply. Jack's eyes widened as he quickly straightened up with embarrassment. To his horror Yusei only chuckled softly. Oh well, he at least managed to keep Jack quiet. For now at least.

"_Keep talking like that and we'll never reach that level, love."_

=3=

Death: There. I felt that Jack needed some sort of comment to Atemu's actions, along with Yusei's way of making Jack shut up xD I wished that the battle between Ares' bird and Ra would have been longer, but I felt that this chapter needed to concentrate more on the interaction between the Guardians and the Signers, specifically Atemu and Yusei with the added opinions of Seto, Jack, and a little bit of Aki and Ruka.

And yes, I am not using the line, because for some unknown reason, it is not cooperating with what I want. So I have no choice but to change the line to that little "=3=" thing. I think it's rather cute, so I guess it's better than the line thing.

Anyway, please click the lovely review button and tell me what you think!


	8. More Questions Than Answers

Death: I meant to update this on New Years day, seeing as how I updated a different fanfic on New Years Eve. But I was sick from trying to work on a lot of fanfics at once so I had put the update on hold for this fanfic. And while I was recovering I read it and realized that it needed some editing. I know, you're probably thinking, "Why'd she take ten days to edit this?". Well, it's 'cause I really wanted to make this chapter special. There's just some important foreshadowing of this that will make the next chapter fun.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, zero, zip, nada.

**Chapter 8 **More Questions Than Answers

=3=

Truth be told, Yusei didn't know what to think about the members of Three Nobleman Team, or more specifically Atemu. From what Ruka told him, Atemu was strong at heart but maybe a little confused. She didn't have much to go on since she didn't get to know him any longer than a few moments, and she didn't watch him duel against Aki.

Aki, however, held a different perspective of the strange man. Her theory was that because of this strange pact with Nightshade Atemu was tainted and couldn't control his dragon. But on the other hand it would seem that he could control Nightshade just fine according to Ruka. Yusei had never seen them in action, so he didn't know what to think about the whole Nightshade/Atemu interaction.

"What do you guys think of Atemu?" Yusei asked his two roommates.

"We didn't get the chance to know him for long, since Seto rushed them to run before the Securities arrived." Crow half shrugged. "But from what I can see, he's not a bad person. Just a little on the strange side."

"I say he's too much like you." Jack snorted.

The lead Signer raised a brow at the statement.

"How so?"

"Atemu is content that so long no one harmed anyone else in that building, then he'll gladly allow them to do anything they wanted to him. He puts everyone else's needs before his, and in turn he bids his time and pretending to be an obedient dog when in reality he's a wolf waiting for the right moment to sink his fangs into their throats." The blond elaborated. "However, he's not afraid to be more of the extreme side while you're more careful."

"…Wow…Jack, I didn't know you could be so…" Crow was at a loss for words.

"Perspective? Well it first started with Seto, now _that_ man makes me uncomfortable. Atemu is suspicious, but he's not the one trying to hide all of their secrets." Jack scoffed at the shorter teen's shocked expression.

"All right, so Atemu is a bit like me. And actually, all three of them are a suspicious bunch, but the real puzzle is Atemu. Seto said that Atemu is the glue that keeps their team together, and if that's the case then he's the only one who can summon the Egyptian Gods. But if that's what Atemu is for, then what about Seto and Bakura? What are they in this team of theirs?" Yusei frowned out of frustration.

"Dunno, but we'll ask them once they're ready to talk. I mean, we got their leader's precious duel runner, that's something that'll motivate them to talk to us." Crow pointed at the said duel runner that they had yet to see under its white sheet. Ushio had delivered it only an hour earlier. The three were busy with dinner so they hadn't bothered with pulling the sheet off.

"Yeah, but…"

Yusei paused when Jack reached over and squeezed his shoulder gently. Surprised by the action, the lead Signer tilted his head up to the blond in silent question.

"For now, Yusei, just forget about them. When they're ready to talk you can ask them all of the questions that are bothering you. Until then, let's enjoy dinner 'k?" Jack motioned to their instant cups of Noodles-To-Go-Go.

Yusei couldn't help but smile. Jack was addicted to those noodles. And although he liked them too, Yusei thought that Jack's addiction to them was rather cute. That is, until they run out of Noodles-To-Go-Go, then Jack reverts to an obnoxious spoiled brat by demanding for someone to go buy more.

Then again, some things can't be helped.

But what bothered Yusei the most was what Seto had said during the argument with Atemu.

'_We're never __supposed to have even met __any__ of them!'_

Why did Seto say that? Especially when he had personally told Yusei a little bit of their background? He didn't understand Seto at all. Yusei understood the brunette wanted to protect Atemu, and whether he realized it or not he was also trying to protect the team. But there was something else to these three, something that could be dangerous.

Yusei let out a mental frustrated sigh. Dangerous they may be, but he could still sense some good in them. Well, at the very least two of them anyway. Yusei wasn't completely sure about that Bakura person. But the other two seem perfectly fine. It was something to look forward to once they're ready to talk.

=3=

_Yusei stood in the middle of a hallway. The walls were made of metal, and an alarm was going off. The red light flashes from above, and for a moment or two Yusei was stunned. He recognized these walls, the alarm, and he could almost sense the mindless panic that was beginning to sink in. This was a dream he's had many times before, but this time was different._

_People were running past him, going through him as if he were a ghost. Yusei blinked several times, unsure what to make of this. Yes, he knew this was a dream. But why was he a part of it, instead of just dreaming about a distant memory, as if it were playing through the TV? This puzzled him, and Yusei almost forgot to look for the one person he desparately wanted to speak to._

_He looked up to see him running. Yusei could almost smile at this moment, if not for the fact that this was a moment in time that it was not a happy reunion. He watched as the man in white lab coat, carrying a small infant in his arms as he ran. He was running to save the infant's life, the child he had fathered and introduced into the world. It was unfortunate that their time together would be so short lived._

_There were so many similarities between them, and yet there were some differences too. The man he recognized as his father had wild hair, like Yusei's. But his father's hair was a shade darker, and a few more spikes in the back that barely reached his shoulders. And very unlike Yusei's, his father had no blond hightlights. Honestly, Yusei didn't know where he got the blond from. Couldn't be from his mother, she had light brown hair._

_And although their eyes were similar in shape, there were vast differences between their color. While Yusei's eyes were a deep, clear blue that resembled the ocean, his father's were very different. Yes, they were blue. But a completely different shade of blue. They were a teal blue, so clear as a blue crystal being inspected under the sun's warm rays. It was those same eyes that had shone brightly with love and happiness in one captured moment, in the one photo there ever was of Yusei and his parents before they were suddenly taken away from him._

_His father turned and ran into a room, the same one where he sent his son off to safety. Yusei quickly followed, standing on the other side of the capsule. The infant was crying, crying from the loud alarm system, and maybe a little bit of intuition that there was danger. Yusei had heard plenty of stories from Martha that as a baby, he was quite sensitive when major events such as small earthquakes or fires made him cry for long hours. _

_He heard his father saying kind, reassuring words as he strapped the infant safely in. And despite the danger he was in, or the fact that he was to die in the next few seconds, his father smiled. He was not smiling from the heart, but in a way as if he were to promise that they were going to meet again someday. And that everything will be all right, that Yusei's future should be a bright one no matter what._

_And with one last look at his son, the man pushed the button. The infant Yusei was sent away, probably already on the other side by now. This was where his dream usually ended, just before his father was engulfed by the energy of light tinged red. This dream, Yusei knew, was from a distant memory from when he was an infant. But this dream was different. It was as if he was seeing it from someone else's eyes, and yet he's standing in it like he was a part of it._

_When Yusei looked at his father's face, the smile was gone. He had a look of such anguish, his heart ached for his sorrow. Yusei knew and understood that his father sacrificed himself so he could live. When he first heard of the story, he felt guilty. But then he realized that his father did it out of love. It was the hardest thing a parent could do for their child. And the fact he cared so much for him, that he found a way for Yusei to live, it was enough to calm the nightmares._

_But the look of regret, he knew, was not because his father wouldn't live from his point forward. No, this anguish in his eyes, now a darker blue that nearly matched Yusei's as tears threatened to fall, was for his mistake. The mistake of not realizing until the very end that his research could have a disasterous effect. The mistake of paying little attention to one of his colleagues that would turn against him, for his being overly excited of his son to be born soon, to looking forward to being a father._

_It was a regret to allow any of this to happen. His mistake would be passed onto his son, who was only an infant. _

_Yusei wanted to reach out to his father's hand. He wanted to tell him not to worry, and that everything will turn out all right. But even though this was a dream, Yusei couldn't lift his arm up. And then..._

_The light of Zero Reverse engulfed them. Yusei was nearly jerked back as he was hit. The radiating light felt hot and intense, burning him. As soon as this registered, the burning stopped. There was nothing but a tingling sensation throughout his body. Strangely enough it felt calming, and not so dangerous. Yusei closed his eyes to welcome the darkness as the light ripped apart his body and soul._

Yusei woke up with a jolt. He nearly screamed as he sat up on the bed, almost kicking his bedmate in the process too. Jack only mumbled in his sleep and continued to cuddle with his pillow. At the cute moment Yusei managed to calm down his rapidly beating heart and let his hand gently run through the soft blond hair. The lead Signer almost laughed as Jack started to purr from the gesture.

In many ways Jack reminded Yusei of a cat. Full of pride and did whatever he wished without being pushed around. If he had fangs, Jack would bite. If he had cat ears, they'd be flat against his hair as he hissed. If he had a tail it'd be held high into the air as if he didn't give a damn of the world around him. And when massaging through certain spots on his head, he'd purr. Yusei found it quite amusing.

He found it even more amusing that Jack could purr in his sleep. Taking a glance at the clock, he realized that it was too early for Jack to wake up for the day. Reluctantly he pulled his hand back, smiling affectionately as Jack nuzzled his pillow as if searching for the source of the massage to do it again. Once the blond stilled, Yusei carefully climbed out of bed.

For whatever reason, Yusei didn't feel bothered of the dream. In fact, now wasn't the time to think it over.

He was anxious for Atemu to make his move and explain everything there was about him and his team. And just like any other day, the leader of Team 5D's made his way down into the garage. But instead of sitting down and work on his duel runner that had become a sacred daily routine, Yusei treaded over to the covered duel runner that was Atemu's.

He was curious, he had seen Bakura's and Seto's, and Yusei wanted nothing more than to take a look inside them and examine their programming. He didn't want to tinker with anything, Yusei simply wanted to study and possibly learn something new. From Seto's supreme hacking skills, Yusei had a feeling that the brunette supplied the duel runners in the team.

Yusei grasped the cloth, and with careful ease he pulled it off to reveal a royal purple duel runner.

He stood there, surprised. Yusei thought that the base color of Atemu's duel runner would have been black. Along the sides was what he guessed were ancient inscriptions, written in yellow to contrast with the base color. On the top was an upside down triangle design with an eye in the middle. The lines that connected into a triangle were three different colors; yellow, blue and red. Meanwhile the eye was a bright yellow. The shape was similar to the third eye Yusei had seen the day before on Atemu's forehead.

Yusei knelt down to study the inscriptions. He was curious about them. Although he didn't understand a word, he'd at least study them long enough to at least have an idea what language it was.

However he felt a headache forming from just a few minutes of studying the characters. Deciding to leave the descriptions alone, Yusei turned the bike on and connected it to his computer. He wasn't going to vandalize the program, but he just wanted a sneak peak at its system and programming.

To his utter surprise, the language was set on what he guessed to be Egyptian or Arabian. The writing was similar to the scribbles on the sides of the duel runner. With precise, the lead Signer managed to switch it to Japanese. He'll just have to remember to transfer the language back to the original setting once he's done examining.

In the middle of his examination Yusei found recorded videos. There were a lot of them, judging by the size of the folder. Opening it up Yusei realized that each time Atemu was in a duel his D–Wheel would record it. It was apparent it was a form of keeping an eye on Atemu, or perhaps it was Seto's way to study Atemu's behavior. Yusei noticed that the camera set was always from the view of the D–Wheel's screen, a perfect view of the duelist's face.

The last recording didn't appear to be a duel. There was no indication of life points in the corner or a monster in the background. Without thinking Yusei clicked on the file. The video popped up, and to his surprise there were Japanese subtitles at the bottom for him to read the conversation.

The video started with Atemu leaning against the seat of his duel runner, and the taller form of Bakura on the other side. In the background the sky was dark with oranges and pinks mixing with reds and blues, in either sunrise or sunset, Yusei couldn't tell which. The two figures were facing the sun with a look of nostalgia in their expressions.

"_I love this place. I feel so at home here, watching the pyramids as the sun rise in the horizon."_ Atemu said.

"_To tell you the truth, I miss the glory days of Egypt. Back then everything was simple."_ Bakura added, crossing his arms with a frown.

"_Nothing is simple, thief. Being a pharaoh and honored as a walking god is not something to take lightly. In some ways I still had the heart of a child when I was granted the throne when father passed."_ Atemu replied with a solemn expression.

"_That's what made you so great. You followed your heart and protected Egypt, and the entire world. What I don't get is that once you eliminated the threat and finally walked into the afterlife, the gods spat you back out. All you get in thanks was a brief time in the afterlife and then they put you back to work."_ Bakura growled.

This time Atemu laughed. It wasn't a normal laugh, not the kind that came from the heart. To Yusei the laugh seemed forced with a hint of sorrow hidden underneath.

"_True, all of that happened. And I do feel a bit sore about all of this. However I was granted something special."_ A fond smile appeared out of nowhere.

Bakura gave his leader an odd look, pondering what he meant.

"_What do you think of the Star Children?"_ Atemu tilted his head up at his companion.

"_The Signers? They're ok, I guess. Their leader reminds me too much of you though."_ Bakura shrugged.

"_Hm. Yes, probably so. He could be more like me, but I see the differences. He's reluctant to be a leader, and yet he recognizes that the team relies on him as their leader. Why do you think he was given the tail of the Crimson Dragon before he was granted the dragon's head?"_

"_He still reminds me of you. What's the difference that you see?"_

Atemu looked up to the sky, pondering. He seemed to be more at ease by this point. His eyes seemed far off, as if he did not see the sunrise, but a cherished memory from the past.

"_He doesn't have someone to admire, someone to look up to when things get tough. All of his strength is from within, and then later on his friendship with others helps his own strength shine. That is a rare trait to find in any lifetime. And no matter the circumstance his heart remains pure. That in itself is also a rare jewel in a sea of dust." _

"_And what about you? You've given yourself hope a number of times. And you're pure as the next guy."_ Bakura scoffed.

"_You're the next guy, Bakura. And it's true I have given myself hope, but there were times I have given up hope, where I have thought that I have failed. Aibou was the one who always supported me. He is as pure as I, and I'm tainted. Darkness runs through my veins, I'm sure you've noticed this too."_

"_Yeah, I've noticed remnants of darkness within you recently. But I wasn't sure if what I sensed were true or not."_

"_There's a reason why I have to be a being of light and darkness, because darkness cannot live without light. And without light there cannot be darkness. I understand that, but it doesn't mean I'm not afraid of taking that step of becoming the darkness."_ Atemu leaned against Bakura's shoulder.

For a few minutes Bakura was silent, soaking up his leader's words in wonder.

"_What do you plan to do, in order to convert back to the light? Seto is good but he will always be second to you. His light is strong, but it will not penetrate your darkness and awaken you."_

"_I believe I have already answered that question. Why do you think I asked about the Star Children?"_ Atemu laughed at Bakura's confused look.

"_We're not supposed to meet them in person, you know that. We can't interfere with their lives and bring our problems to them. Seto would chew your head for even suggesting on a thing."_ The taller man frowned.

"_Since when did you follow the rules, oh mighty Thief King? And I broke that rule long ago. I didn't mean to, but our duty is to interfere when their lives are at stake. And that's exactly what I did. And I have a feeling that because of that instance where I interfered, something stirred."_

"_What did you do?"_

Atemu laughed.

"_That I will not say, thief. At least not until the time is right to reveal what I did."_

"_So what will happen? I mean what's the next thing we do? I imagine those Star Children are done with protecting the world last I checked."_ Bakura tilted his head at the smaller young man.

"_But I can't shake the feeling that the world would be threatened by something worse than the Oricalchos and Zorcnecrophades. And that it would need both the Egyptian Gods and the Crimson Dragon to defeat this threat."_

"_What makes you think the Crimson Dragon will need our help? Or even allowing you to come close for that matter? I thought the Crimson Dragon and the Egyptian Gods are at odds with each other."_ Bakura frowned.

"_I can feel the gods stir, they're uneasy about something. Whatever it is sends chills to every cell and molecule in my body. You know as well as I that very few things can scare me so much, but whatever comes our way will be very similar to that of Zorc, probably even worse than him."_

"_That's a serious prediction. I don't even know if that should be even called a prediction. Are you sure that what your instincts are right, pharaoh? Have you any evidence to support this theory of yours?"_ The white haired man half glared half studied the shorter man next to him in all seriousness.

"_It's just a feeling that I have. And my only concern is that the Signers will not see us as their allies. I have no idea how to prove my background. It's like asking a man who has lived in ancient times to accommodate the modern times without any knowledge of how to survive. We will have to be careful about how we approach them."_

Bakura groaned, leaning back further against the duel runner.

"_I hate that idea. However if it's coming from your mouth, I guess we have no choice in the matter. If you have a feeling that something will happen then it most likely will. And you know I hate it when you're always right about something."_ The white haired male huffed with a deep frown.

"_Oh cut it out, thief. You know you love me."_ Atemu teased with a smile.

Bakura burst out laughing. The video ends with the two of them laughing together.

For a few moments Yusei sat in his chair unable to process exactly what he had seen. The content of the video replayed in his head, as more questions were raised. How long have these three been watching over them, and why? And why can't they interfere, when they've already done so in order to rescue Atemu? What is this Zorc, Zorc… – whatever, Atemu kept bringing up? And why does Atemu have to be of both light and darkness?

The last time someone tried to be of both light and dark was Goodwin. That man helped the Signers, only to stab them in the back and threatened to use the powers of both the Crimson Dragon and the Dark Signers to destroy the world only to recreate a new world. His mind went mad from having both powers flowing through his body. It was only through Yusei that Goodwin made peace with himself and his twin brother.

But now he was left with more questions than answers by going through the duel runner. Still confused, Yusei closed out of the video section and continued on to explore the D–Wheel's interior design. What he found came to a complete shock. Seto was a genius in machine work, for the interior design made the duel runner run smoother and faster without the danger of burning out the engine or anything else that made up a duel runner.

"This is so…advanced. Even I wouldn't be able to come up with stuff like this." Yusei said out loud.

"What's going on?" Crow yawned as he walked down the stairs.

"I'm taking a look at Atemu's D–Wheel, and this is really advanced technology. This duel runner can run faster and smoother than ours could reach within the next ten years or so." Yusei informed, never turning his gaze away from the computer screen.

"Really? Man, they must have really good resources in order to do all of that." Crow commented as he strode over to have a good look over the details of the purple D–Wheel.

"This kind of technology could actually be years ahead of ours. It's making me believe that Seto really is a genius." Yusei said as he leaned back in the chair.

"What do these inscriptions mean? They look like chicken scratch to me." The smaller young man was kneeling beside the duel runner.

"I have no idea. But I'm starting to suspect they're probably Egyptian."

"Why do you say that? Aren't Egyptian writings more like complicated symbols or something like that?" Crow furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

Yusei hesitated. He wasn't sure if he should tell about the video or not. But he had already let it slip, and Yusei wasn't very good at lying to his friends. And so he told Crow about how he found the video to the contents he had read from it. In the end Crow didn't believe him, and Yusei was given no choice but to show the video itself.

Once it was over the redhead was at a loss of words. For a few minutes he scratched his head with a frown.

"Man, I hate it when things get so damn complicated! Why can't anything just, I don't know, be simple for once?" Crow complained at their strange predicament.

"Apparently fate doesn't like to be simple. And when has it ever been simple?" Yusei replied dryly.

"Yeah, well, that's life. And Atemu better give us some answers soon. All of this is just too confusing."

Yusei silently agreed.

=3=

Meanwhile at their apartment, the three guardians were sprawled out on the couch. They had spent almost the entire night talking about how and when would be the best plan to inform the Signers about what they were. Somehow they managed to talk themselves to sleep. Seto had been the first to wake up, with an odd predicament.

He woke up with the feeling of something heavy in his lap. Upon opening his eyes and looking down, he saw that Atemu was making himself comfortable with his legs as a pillow. The pharaoh's face was nuzzled against Seto's waist and stomach, and the weight of his shoulder right between his legs.

And it didn't help that the added weight of Bakura snuggling into Atemu's neck doubled the pain in the priest's legs. Seto wasn't sure how long they've been like this, but by judging how numb his legs felt he guessed it had been a few hours. Being as gentle as possible, Seto cradled Atemu's head as he scooted out from underneath and stretched his long legs over the small table in between the couch and the TV.

As the blood began to flow normally back from the waist down, Seto eyed the other two. Bakura had stirred from the movement, but somehow didn't wake up. The thief was usually a very light sleeper, all due to his days as a Thief King and a dagger within reach if someone decided to take a chance at him.

The former Thief King was surprisingly handsome as he slept. His brow wasn't scrunched up in anger or frustration and his face wasn't in that scowl that always disturbed Seto. Truly, he never liked Bakura. And it will probably always be that way. However, as of late he's become accustomed to the Thief King's presence. Not enough that he would willingly cuddle or pet his hair, as he does with Atemu, but Seto was slowly starting to trust Bakura enough that they won't wake up with a knife to the throat.

Seto shifted his gaze to their leader, the one who was once called the King of Games. At this moment the brunette didn't see the King of Games, or the Pharaoh of Egypt. No, right now Atemu slept with a peaceful expression, making him look younger and more vulnerable. If Seto didn't know any better he'd say that this young man wasn't a man, but rather a child.

Sure, he was brave and willed to protect others from the dangers that lurked in the shadows, but deep down he was the same as everyone else. Seto knew that although his cousin favored men, he also happened to wish to be a father. Atemu had confessed this wish about five years ago, when after taking a tour around Europe. It was just a special trip to see the sights, and not only to relax, but to remind themselves that their job was to protect those beautiful cities and everything else that existed in this world. It was supposed to be fun, and that trip was one of the few that brought them closer together.

But then one day, Atemu was depressed. It took a lot of persuasion for both Seto and Bakura to convince their leader to talk. When Atemu finally conceded he confessed that the only regret he has over his first life in Egypt was that he wasn't able to be a father. He had become a pharaoh too young, just right after his father had died of an illness. By the time Atemu became the rightful age to marry, he wasn't given a chance to even look at any of the noble woman available when Zorc made his move. Atemu had given up everything at that fight to protect his country and the world they lived in.

When asked what brought this up, Atemu simply shrugged and said he saw a man and his son happily eating ice cream together. That got a strange reaction from Seto and Bakura. If such a simple image would upset him, then why were they giving a tour of the world anyway? Atemu assured them that at most he could deal with this regret, but on some days the burden had become too much to bear.

But the former High Priest shared a knowing look with the Thief King. Although words were never spoken, both knew what the other was thinking. If only things didn't turn out the way it did in the past, then maybe Atemu would've been happier with this arrangement as a guardian. And Atemu would've been a great father, if only he were given the chance.

As Seto thought of this, Atemu stirred as he began to awaken. His crimson eyes fluttered open and then followed by a yawn. Atemu pushed up into a sitting position, and thus woke Bakura up in the process. The pair straightened up on the couch before creating a leaning chain towards Seto. Atemu was slumped against Seto's shoulder and Bakura on Atemu's.

"Both of you are laziest pair I have ever seen or met." Seto snorted.

"We just got up, we're not morning people." Atemu remarked with a smile.

"Actually it's almost noon. And you seem all right if you're being sarcastic." The brunette corrected as a matter of factly.

"Whatever. We've been up most of the night. We deserve some minutes of being lazy." Bakura yawned.

"You're as grumpy as usual." Seto rolled his eyes. "C'mon, we need to figure out how we're going to tell the Signers what we are."

"Yeah about that, I'm not sure if what you guys did is going to make it any easier." Atemu pointed out.

"Probably not." Seto said as he moved on to a small table where his laptop sat and turned it on.

"Hey! You were the one who planned the whole rescue!" Bakura accused.

"Better to accept what happened than running away from it." The brunette shrugged.

"I'm not too angry about how this turned out. It only makes it harder to tell them with their full trust on our word alone." Atemu frowned. "We have no proof to back our story."

"Then how about we exclude our story? They did say they wanted us to explain what we are, not what we had been." Seto suggested as he connected his flash drive into his computer.

Atemu pondered the thought. He honestly never thought of lying to them. It never occurred to him that maybe it was the right path to take. There was nothing to prove their backgrounds, their previous lives. It was a complicated story that no one would believe. The stone tablets that belong to the Ishtar family had once been moved back to Domino City, but they were taken back from the museum within days after Zero Reverse. Since then the stone tablets have been hidden from public eye and never to be seen again.

Not even a record of them outside of Egypt exists. Apparently those documents went missing. Atemu wasn't sure if the Ishtar family had anything to do with the disappearance of those records, but he didn't want to dig up their wrongdoings. It was too much trouble to deal with in the former pharaoh's opinion. Especially if the Ishtar family did what they did in order to protect his very existence.

"All right, that can work. For now we'll tell them what we are." Atemu spoke out loud.

"You sound as if you want to tell them about our entire story." Bakura frowned at the thought.

"Well what if I do? You know I hate lying, but that doesn't mean I'm not good at it. The problem here is that the Star Children can easily sniff out lies. Think about it, they're in a position that we are either enemy or ally. They will be more alert for the smallest hint of a lie." The former pharaoh pointed out.

"You're thinking too much about this, Atemu. You can't rely on guessing alone. Let's see how this turns out, and then we can figure out how to avoid becoming their enemies." Seto rolled his eyes disapprovingly.

"And here you used to be the paranoid one." Atemu shot back. "And to think that a great former high priest, as well as my cousin, has been reduced to a paranoid man due to his days as CEO of Kaiba Corp."

"Hey, I stride for the bold and outrageous moves if it means we win. Because of this I have to think of every angle that in some bizarre way my plans will backfire. And what about you, you rely on the powers of darkness in order to remain sane. Someday it won't work anymore." A cold, calculated gaze left the computer screen to send a bone chilling glare at the team's leader.

Atemu didn't reply. He couldn't deny the truth, but that didn't mean he would admit it in front of his team. To do so then it would mean he admitted he is no longer capable of being the leader. And if that happened the role of leadership was passed on to Seto, who would unintentionally drive the team into oblivion. Atemu hadn't lost his mind, at least he hoped not.

"What are you looking at anyway?" Bakura broke the silence, directing his attention to Seto.

Before the brunette could answer a large number of footsteps came down the hallway outside. The pace sounded urgent and sent the team on alert. Atemu and Bakura stood up when the footsteps stopped just in front of the door into their apartment.

"This is Sector Security! We have a warrant for the arrest of Seto Thanos! Open this door!"

Atemu's world went blank.

=3=

When it was all done and over with, Atemu stood in the living room with a daze. In his hand he realized he was holding something small. Ignoring Bakura's insistence to answer, Atemu opened his hand to reveal a white flash drive. It was Seto's, the former pharaoh recognized.

It took him a moment to remember that Seto had snuck it into his hand when the Sector Security men weren't looking.

"…What was Seto arrested for?" Atemu asked.

"You mean you don't remember what just transpired a few minutes ago?"

"No I…I just…When I heard they were here for Seto, I guess I was in too much in shock to even think."

"Well that explains why you didn't take any action against 'em. But you know I'm surprised Seto didn't even raise a finger against those guys. Or his Sennen Rod for that matter." Bakura shrugged.

"So…you didn't answer my question." Atemu pressed.

"He was arrested for stealing and concealing evidence. Apparently he stole some really big file from the main computer the Holy Priests used." Bakura said, peering down at the object in his lover's hand. "I'm guessing that's the little bugger that has the file."

"I suspect so."

"All right, so they're gonna arrest us for being his accomplices. I am not looking forward to being locked up here." The pale haired thief replied.

"Maybe we don't have to." Atemu mumbled.

"Hm?" Bakura raised an eyebrow.

"Let's turn this in. I have a feeling that the file he stole is the study of me. If we return it and said we found it, then maybe they'll let him go."

"That's a bit farfetched. How about we bribe 'em with money? We have enough on our hands to get him out."

"Bakura, that's even worse. You know we're not supposed to spend a large amount of money. We're here because we're trying to allow some time to settle over that accident last month. And in order to stay here without a mob of Egyptian authorities and the world press, we can't leave a trail of money leading them to us." Atemu frowned.

"Then what do you suppose we do? We can't leave him there! If we do then the press will hear about it, and then we'd have a real problem on our hands!" Bakura hissed back.

"I don't know! Just twenty four hours ago my biggest problem is protecting two of the Signers from the Holy Priests, but now it's suddenly I have to safely bring Seto out of jail without drawing too much attention to ourselves! Can't I at least have three days worth of a break around here?" Atemu threw his arms up in defeat.

The former Thief King nearly flinched, taken aback with Atemu's sudden outburst. It was rare for the former pharaoh to lose control over his emotions. And when he did he'd be emotional over some miserable fate. This was just too strange for the thief to see Atemu so worked up.

The former pharaoh let out a frustrated sigh.

"Let's go. We can at least ask them if word of this doesn't reach the press. And before you ask, no, I'm not riding with you on your D – Wheel. You're a crazy show off, and your driving turns my legs into jelly afterwards." Atemu released a soft chuckle, showing he was only teasing.

"Aw…and here I was looking forward to you holding onto me tightly." Bakura teased with a grin.

"Let's just go, thief." Atemu rolled his eyes, but nonetheless smiling at his partner's gesture.

Within ten minutes the pair had reached their destination. It had been difficult for the pharaoh to grow accustomed to Seto's duel runner. Although he liked the design of its attempt to be a Blue Eyes White Dragon, the shape was rather a nuisance. The duel runner was meant for tall figures, for it was long in the front compared to Atemu's own D–Wheel. He had to be sure not to turn too sharply or too wide when rounding a corner.

Why he bothered with going around in a duel runner that was not specifically made for him, Atemu did not know. But it was better than riding behind Bakura with his crazy antics that could possibly turn into an unfortunate accident. No, Atemu would rather not become a stain on the ground thank you very much.

Upon arriving at Sector Security, Atemu noticed the familiar D–Wheels of Yusei and Crow. The former pharaoh narrowed his eyes at the two duel runners. Of the pair, Jack's was missing. To Atemu this couldn't be a coincidence. The feeling in his gut grew as he and Bakura walked into the building to meet a peculiar scene.

"What do ya mean you can't release Jack? He's innocent! And you freakin' know this!" Crow shouted at Ushio.

For a little guy, he surely knew how to hold his ground. For this Star Child size didn't matter, and on top it off he has a good heart. In some ways Crow reminded Atemu of Jou, but at least he didn't pick any fights unless provoked. The former pharaoh stopped a little distance away to watch the two Signers arguing with Ushio and Mikage.

"Listen, this is only protocol. We've only brought Jack in for questioning. We don't have any proof that he's really an accomplice for stealing and concealing evidence from the Holy Priests. But we sure wanna know his involvement in all of this, and what exactly the files Seto stole." Ushio grumbled, crossing his arms.

"And so you had to arrest him? Jack was simply following Seto around because we were supposed to go around as a pair, and Jack volunteered to be with Seto. Jack had nothing to do with whatever it is that Seto stole!" Yusei glared at his former bully, it was a glare that Ushio had seen many times. He knew the difference between an angry Yusei and an extremely angry Yusei. This time it would seem that the lead Signer was about to lose his head.

"I know, but we still have to take Jack in for questioning. We need to know if Jack will either aid us or not. If he helps us against Mr. Thanos, then Mr. Atlas will be released sometime within the next day or two." Mikage calmly replied.

Atemu narrowed his eyes. He couldn't allow this to go on any longer. It was one thing to arrest Seto, but another to drag the Signers into this and have them turn against Seto.

"And what, may I ask, are you going to do then? Lock Seto up for stealing evidence that is not to be seen to the public eye let alone Sector Security?" Atemu inquired as he strode over calmly, eyes burning with such rage that everyone in the room pause.

Mikage was the first to recover. Although she did her best not to appear frightened at the sight of Atemu, he could see right through her façade.

"What makes you believe that the files Mr. Thanos had stolen are not to be seen by us? The files that are missing are huge, and that large amount is enough to settle this case against the Holy Priests. From here we can work on a man hunt for the remaining members of the Holy Priests and put them on trial."

He had to admit, Mikage could put on a brave face. But now wasn't the time to ponder over the good qualities in the people around him.

"If I am correct to assume that those very same files that Seto had stolen were about the experiments those bastards did to me, then I suggest you stop what you're doing. The mission Seto had planned was to work together with the Signers to rescue not only Ruka and Aki as well as myself, but all of the other unfortunate victims the Holy Priests collected. But Seto also needed to obtain the files about me, if there were any. This wasn't done to spite you, although I wouldn't mind such a feat, but to protect ourselves from the rest of the world." Although he wasn't yelling, Atemu was downright close to.

"And not only that, you've dragged the Signers into this mess. Honestly, Jack has nothing to do with what you're accusing him of. If you know Jack at all then you know that he has no idea how to use a computer as a weapon. And if you know anything that's good for you, stop this act of trying to turn the Signers against us." The former pharaoh continued as he stood in all his glory, poised and ready to counter their reasons.

"Why would he go to such great lengths to protect the three of you? You're just a foreign team that has nothing to do here." Ushio huffed, grinning. "After all, the three of you are wanted, right? I've wondered why Thanos looked so familiar, it's because he's a part of the Three Nobleman Team. The very same team that's wanted for questioning in India for some freak accident that caused one of the competitors to drop out."

At the given information, Yusei stared at Atemu in disbelief. Crow's response was a bit more vocal, but Yusei was hardly paying any attention to his friend. The lead Signer was watching Atemu, who stood as still as a statue. Bakura had growled and appeared to be preparing for an attack on Ushio, if Atemu had not stopped him by raising an arm to prevent him from going further.

"Damn it! Atemu let me at him!" Bakura yelled before saying something else that was in a different language. The words were jumbles of sounds and vowels that were foreign to Yusei. The dialect sounded old and ancient, but Bakura's deep voice, although he was young, made it seem more menacing.

"Forget it. He's not worth the trouble. Can't always change a bully inside out. At least you're not so bad now, Ushio. Didn't at one point in time you bullied everyone just for a little extra cash? You were once filled with so much greed, it's a wonder how you ended up here as a member of Sector Security." The Egyptian smirked playfully.

Ushio was too speechless to even make a comeback. Only his eyebrow twitched as he glared at the former pharaoh.

Atemu broke the heated tension between them to give a reassuring look at his partner.

"If you want to escape, now is the time. And do me a favor, search for someone, anyone who can help us get out of here."

At those words, Bakura stared at the former pharaoh with horror.

"What are you doing? You can't allow yourself to get arrested! You've just escaped from the Holy Priests only to be thrown into jail? It's practically the same thing!" The white haired man argued.

"I'm not leaving here without Seto! Besides, it's not like these people are going to experiment on me. One day here won't hurt." Atemu replied, taking hold of one of Bakura's hands in his.

The Thief King tensed before relaxing. His eyes softened into one of admiration. He even went so far as giving a reassuring peck on Atemu's cheek. The former pharaoh smiled at the rare show of affection.

Then the air shifted, as if there was a ripple of a disturbance. Yusei nearly jumped in alarm as he glanced around. No one else felt it, so was he only imagining things? Then he felt something in his pocket. Curious, the lead Signer reached in and grabbed the new and foreign object out to look at it. The object was a white flashdrive.

He blinked once, twice, then looked up to see Atemu's smile aiming at him.

Did he use magic to transport the flashdrive into his pocket? If so, how and why? As Ushio ordered the arrest for the last two members of the Three Nobleman Team, Yusei quickly put the flashdrive back into his pocket. Out of habit he warily checked his surroundings in hopes that no one saw the flashdrive that was now in his possession.

Yusei and Crow silently watched as Ushio had Atemu and Bakura were arrested. Despite the heated look in his eyes, the leader of the Three Nobleman Team didn't put up a fight. He didn't even yell a protest as his arms were forcefully pulled behind tightly and handcuffs were clicked around his wrists. Bakura had struggled for a bit, but his fight didn't last for very long. They were roughly lead away by Ushio, not even bothering going over their rights.

As they passed the two Signers though, Atemu paused.

"I'm sorry you guys were dragged into this. I know this isn't quite the best first impression. But if they have any sense, then Jack should be released later today. If so, then it's a start for the debt I owe to you for the rescue mission." Although he was smiling, there was a hint of something else in Atemu's eyes.

As he watched them go, it dawned on Yusei that he recognized that look, that very same look his father had in his dream.

Regret.

=3=

Death: Well there ya go. I hope this was accurate enough, the part with Yusei's dream. I know of the circumstance, I missed the episode that had that part in it. And finally I'm starting to feel that the plot is moving along a lot smoother. Next chapter will have a very nice surprise. As to what that will be, I'm keeping my lips sealed on the matter. It is supposed to be a surprise after all.

1) Zorcnecrophedes AKA Zorc: I rarely hear his real name being used, even in the anime. I think it was used like, only once, both english dub and Japanese. And then he's just known as Zorc, which is understandable. If you have trouble remembering or saying Akhenamkhanen, Atemu's father, then of course you'll have trouble with Zorcnecrophedes. Anyway, I had a chance to use that name so I took it. Don't worry, after this it'll just be "Zorc", makes it's easier to type anyway.

2) I understand there's some confusion over Dr. Fudo's name. I know a lot of people believe that his name is "Hakuse", but that's not right. Although it is very easy to mistake that as his name, for in the Japanese version you hear people call him "Hakuse". And although Hakuse has a nice ring to it, it simply means "doctor". So, if you wonder why I didn't use "Hakuse", you now know why.

But if I were to give him a name, it'd most likely be Hitoshi. It means "benevolence", which is similar to "kindness" or "generosity". Fits him, does it not?

Random Question: Please tell me I'm not the only one questioning why or how Yusei has highlights! I mean, look at his parents. LOOK AT THEM. Neither of them have a hint of blond highlights anywhere. And don't say he added 'em just for kicks! There was at one point when Crow was looking back to when he first met Jack and Yusei when they were kids and he had highlights! When compared to as a baby, he didn't have any. And looking at Martha, I don't think she'd allow a kid get highlights. Plus, this was back when Satellite was left to take care of its own with no help what so ever, so they were far worse than dirt poor.

I only question why he has highlights cuz it bothers me. I think I have a slight OCD. But then again I question a lot of things. Such as Atemu's hair...Wait, the main point here is that I just wanna know that I'm not the only one stuck in this highlights thing. I love Yusei, he's adorably sweet under all that angst.

Anyway, please leave a lovely review!


	9. The King of Games

Death: College. That is the only excuse I have for making all of my lovely and supporting readers for a long update. For this chapter I had to do some research and careful choosing of birthdays and a little something else concerning the Zero Reverse. Honestly, it might be better that they could give us an exact timeline in 5Ds, so that we know exactly how long it's been since the original series.

Disclaimer: As I've been saying for the past eight chapters. I own nothing.

**Chapter 9** – The King of Games

=3=

Atemu calmly sat on the bench/bed of the room he was given. He sat with one leg over the other, arms crossed over his chest as he stared off into space. There was simply nothing else to do while he was in here. Atemu didn't exactly know how long he'd been here, really. It could have been five minutes already, when it felt more like days.

In other words, the former pharaoh was bored.

Normally, when he was bored, Atemu would speak to someone. However, with Seto and Bakura out of the picture, then this only leaves Nightshade. Yet for whatever reason the dark dragon was silent. She wouldn't reply when he called out to her. He couldn't sense her emotions when he taunted her, teased her, even daring to yell at her.

Since he was bored, Atemu was thinking over this strange puzzle. Since he had nothing else to do, he might as well mull over this than wonder how long it'll take for the Star Children to help them out of this place. Besides, Nightshade has been occupying inside his mind since she appeared to him a series of dreams three years ago. It seemed rather foreign she would suddenly stop dropping rude comments or ask annoying questions when it was least appropriate.

This silence from Nightshade made him uncomfortable. Atemu was well in tune with his intuition, as a young king ought to be when ruling a supreme country in its prime. One can never know when someone has been able to sneak by High Priestess Isis' all seeing Sennen Tauk and take a stab at him.

But when the former pharaoh sealed himself away into the puzzle, his instincts were all he had when his memories shattered, unable to gather up the pieces and put them together. At least, he couldn't do it alone, not without help. That help came five thousand years later, and in turn he granted his aibou's wish for friends. All it took was a nudge here, a little nudge there, and the result?

Yuugi Mutou's wish came true.

As his Aibou became more aware of his presence, Atemu had no choice but to set aside the instinct to fight and _win_, no matter what it _took_, and put faith and trust in Yuugi and his friends. His Aibou gave him a noble cause to strive for, instead of just dueling for the results alone. Although this hindered his instincts a few notches, he at least had enough to understand when danger was about to cross their paths.

And now, as a Guardian, Atemu no longer needs the Sennen items. He had to rely on his instincts more often. He knew when the Dark Signers were ready to strike long before he heard the news from Seto. He knew there was something strange and complicated about to happen before Aporia came to be. In a way, it was like Atemu had the power of the Sennen Tauk, but without the visions. He didn't know how, or why, he just _knew_.

At this moment Atemu felt uneasy. Nightshade isn't talking to him. There has to be a reason why. It's not like she's being silent, that dragon loves to talk. She wouldn't stop, at least not completely. She would ignore him at times when they're in a dispute. But this wasn't anything like that.

No, if this was like that, then Atemu would at least hear her grumble at his taunts, feel some sort of emotion or another at his teasing. Instead there was nothing. It felt like a wall had been built between them, and neither could climb over it. Neither of them could even send some reassurance to each other, which unnerved Atemu gravely.

So, if they couldn't speak to each other, he has to figure out why. First, when did she stop interacting with him? The night before, just as he was about to fall asleep. All right, so what's different from yesterday to today? What's preventing him from hearing her, feeling her sarcastic yet somehow welcoming presence from within?

Maybe it wasn't a what, but _whom_. Maybe she was so drained from taking control over his body, and remains in control for long lengths of time, and now needs a rest. She was probably in a deep sleep which she couldn't even feel how panicked and torn up he was inside.

Or, maybe, in his inability to think straight, he was simply making up excuses. Really, Atemu suddenly felt like a hurt child who just lost his best friend and over thinking everything as to why.

With a defeated sigh, Atemu mentally smacked himself. Reluctantly he let the matter go. Atemu didn't want to stress over this too much. At least, not yet, anyway. If this continued then, he'll have to consort this problem to Seto and see what he believes.

The thought made him frown. Seto wouldn't care what happened to Nightshade.

'_If only Aibou were here…he at least would listen to me seriously before giving his input.'_

Great, now the former pharaoh was starting to feel depressed. Missing his Aibou always brought his spirit down. Sometimes he wished he didn't remember everything from the past. The pain at least would be more bearable.

Atemu wasn't aware he had closed his eyes, or leaning against the wall. At least he didn't know he was doing this when he became aware of another presence inside the room. Strange, he didn't hear the door open, he thought. Atemu wasn't that lost in thought not to pay attention to his surroundings.

Upon opening his eyes, Atemu immediately wished he hadn't done so. For there, standing in the middle of the room, was none other than the one person who understood him most. The one man who had the purest of heart Atemu wanted to protect and shield forever. He would even so go so far as to serve this pure soul.

Those wide, expressive eyes were staring him down.

Atemu's heart stopped, his stomach lurched. In the back of his mind, he briefly wondered why his Aibou still appeared so young, why he was still in the plain blue high school uniform. All of his logic was crumbled and washed away when he saw the hurt in those eyes.

The urge to strike out and make the person he least wanted to see in this world to leave him be was crushed by that expression. Atemu wanted nothing more than to embrace that small frame, whisper sweet nothings that everything was all right.

"Aibou…"

He reached out.

Then there was pain. White hot pain starting first in the chest, and then spread throughout. It spread through his veins, leaving a strange tingling as the pain expanded under his skin. Atemu wanted desperately to claw at his arms and legs until his nails met bone. He would've done so, if his hand wasn't so busy clutching his shirt.

Atemu slumped over, head on the not so fluffy and soft pillow. So much pain, tears threatened to fall from the corner of his eyes. Atemu grunted as the white hot pain intensified. He opened his eyes a tad to see the hurt expression. His Aibou was on the verge of crying.

"Aibou… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

Atemu didn't even know what he was apologizing for. It was all he could do, right now, even if he wasn't in the right mind. But his Aibou crying hurt more than the pain he felt in his chest.

"Please… Aibou…. I'm sorry…."

The former pharaoh was close to sobbing. The lump in his throat made it hard to breathe. With his free hand, Atemu reached for the crying figure. He couldn't quite reach the other's hand he so wished to grasp and comfort the pure soul.

"….Yuugi…"

Darkness was clouding his vision, and Atemu had no choice but to accept and welcomed the bliss it promised.

=3=

Ushio silently brooded, as he stood tall and still, arms crossed. He could sense Mikage's disapproving gaze burning through his back. Ushio knew why she was giving him that look. Mikage was starting to doubt that they were doing the right thing about handling the situation with the Three Noblemen Team, as well as forcing Jack Atlas into this mess.

But Seto Thanos stole a huge amount of files that would settle and close this case against the Holy Priests. Without those files, their work would multiply on trying to list everything that those men had done. With that much evidence, it would save hours of work.

Yet, there was some persistent nagging in the back of his mind that wouldn't quiet down. There was something about Atemu Pharos that unsettled him. There was just something familiar about him, if that made any sense. Ushio had never met Pharos in his life!

'_Didn't at one point in time you bullied everyone just for a little extra cash?'_

So, why couldn't he erase the feeling that they did meet? The way Pharos was implying, he knew what kind of person Ushio had been in high school. Sure, looking back he regretted for doing all of that, but how can he say sorry when he couldn't remember the names of those he bullied? A lot of records went missing or destroyed after Zero Reverse. Among those records were graduates of Domino High, as the school was destroyed by the earthquake that followed Satellite's separation from the mainland.

Besides, that was such a long time ago! Ushio was a changed man, once he broke out of the crazy nightmares and illusions of monsters eating him and believing trash and other gross stuff as money. Well, he tried to become a better man, anyway. He did join Sector Security, dreaming to clean the streets from scum. Then Zero Reverse happened, and there had been chaos _everywhere_ in the aftermath.

Learning who was head of the research, Ushio kind of blamed Dr. Fudo. When he was assigned into Satellite, he met Yusei Fudo. His name alone had Ushio hate the son of the man responsible for so much destruction in Domino City. It didn't help when the boy was trying to play hero with Team Satisfaction by _cleaning up the streets_. Not a bad idea, really, Ushio himself had been banging his head against the wall trying to come up with an effective plan to help Satellite become a safer place. But cleaning up the streets from control of gangs and other such criminals was Sector Security's job, not by the hands of a group of _teenagers_.

So he put the blame on the boys responsible. Most of the blame fell on Yusei's shoulders, as he still blamed the boy for the actions of his father. During this process Ushio had unintentionally become a bully. Again.

It wasn't that he didn't mean to, honest.

'_You were once filled with so much greed, it's a wonder how you ended up here as a member of Sector Security.'_

Yes, it was a wonder, indeed. With a sigh, Ushio did his best not to scowl in place. By the look Mikage was giving him, he knew he was failing. Miserably.

"All right, spill it out. What is it you want to say, Mikage?" Ushio finally gave up.

"It's just…well, we've been wrong before. What if Mr. Pharos says is true, those files Mr. Thanos stole, aren't our right to see at all? I know, I know, those files would settle this case against the Holy Priests, but don't we have enough ground cover to issue a warrant? Think about it, Ushio, they've kidnapped so many people! They even dared to go so far as to kidnap Miss Izayoi and Miss Ruka. They kidnapped two_ Signers_, Ushio. And, whatever Mr. Pharos and his team are, they're on the same level as the Signers."

At the last part Ushio raised a thick eyebrow.

"What makes you think that team is on the same level as the Signers?"

Mikage sighed. He was right to point it out, but to her, the answer was just so obvious.

"I know you're upset with what Mr. Pharos said to you, Ushio. I understand that. But, if you read between the lines, he's implying that he knows what you did in your high school days and what happened that changed you for the better."

"Wait – what? How do you know of that?" Stunned, Ushio couldn't form a more proper question.

No one was supposed to know of the illusions he saw!

"I've done my research. And for the record, I did it after you went crazy and dueled Jack Atlas in a hospital with his arm still healing. But, when you were questioned, you were completely honest. So my research was all for nothing when you had no memory of you did. So for that, I'm sorry. Can we look past this, for now? We're about to do something that could devastate this city!"

"Such as what, doing the right thing and contacting the Egyptian and Indian authorities to come pick them up? Do you know what they had _done_ to that other team, Mikage?" Ushio turned to face her, stomping a foot like an angry toddler.

"I know what they did! I know, it's horrible, but I just – I have this feeling that Neo Domino City needs them! Just like how this city needed the Signers, Ushio!"

"Why would we need them? We have the Signers! That's what they're here for in the first place, right? They can handle anything the world throws in their way. We've seen that in action, Mikage!"

"Don't you think it was convenient that, the moment the Three Noblemen Team came here, the Holy Priests started making themselves known? What if the Signers can't handle this on their own? Remember Team Ragnarok? If there had been no tournament, they would've helped the Signers! Instead, they had to fight each other in order to win the right to face Aporia! Right now, there is no tournament coming up, therefore, there's a very good chance the Three Noblemen Team can work together with Team 5Ds and bring down the Holy Priests! How can that happen, when we're going to send them to India?"

Ushio didn't know how to argue with that logic.

"But, Mikage, they're dangerous…something about Atemu disturbs me. I don't like that Bakura character, either."

"Then we make a deal with them. We release all of them – including Jack Atlas – and drop our charges on all four boys. But only if they promise not to do anything that could put the city in danger. How about that?"

Mikage was on the right path, but promises weren't what Ushio was looking for. He needed their complete cooperation, not make stupid promises that they couldn't keep.

Frustrated, Ushio looked away. He blinked when his eyes stared blankly at the board of missing cases. Technically, they are the faces of important people missing. Among them, one of the pictures stood out. Ushio narrowed his eyes, unbelieving on what he saw. He came closer, taking the paper off the board to study it.

The face of Atemu Pharos greeted him with a handsome smile. The photo was of a young man with same bronze skin, same wild hair, and the same air of confidence as Atemu Pharos. But the color of the eyes was a tad different. Atemu's were red, almost frighteningly deep red, while the young man in this photo had purple eyes. Or were they red violet? It was hard to tell.

But the resemblance was remarkable. No, it wasn't resemblance, this was the same person.

Ushio looked at the brief information under the photo.

He nearly did a double take. Mikage noticed his strange behavior, now seemed worried.

"What's wrong?"

'_This can't be…but it's so obvious that this is Atemu Pharos! The name is different, different eye color, different birthdays, but…this has to be him! Yami Mutou and Atemu Pharos are one in the same! They have to be!'_

Ushio was so stunned his hands shook.

"Someone! Contact the Mutou family, pronto! Tell them we've found Yuugi Mutou's missing nephew."

"But…are you sure you want to do this, Ushio?" Mikage had peered over to look at the paper in his hands. She didn't like this plan of his.

"This is better closure than a simple promise, Mikage. This way, at least the Signers have some extra help if they need any to handle these three. Besides, look at this photo, Mikage! This is man is Atemu Pharos! How they're able to defy the process of aging, I don't know! And frankly, I don't want to know! If you are correct on what you say about this team being dumped here by fate to help the Signers against the Holy Priests, I'll give them a chance. Anyone who is related to the original King of Games deserves _that _much."

After all, Yuugi Mutou is one of the most respected men of the whole world. Since the disappearance of an unknown nephew, he and the remaining members of his family chose to live in the shadows and away from public eye. Most say he's running away, since he lost two family members and several friends to Zero Reverse. But Ushio knew better than that.

The King of Games turned his back against the world to protect what little family he had. He understood the ways of politics and what harm it could do to one so famous. So much loss due to Zero Reverse, and Yuugi Mutou was utterly alone. Well, he wasn't completely alone, but the fact is he was alone to raise a seven year old boy whose life could be endangered. Many did say the King of Games had a strange power that could protect the world from something like Zero Reverse.

Those who did believe that myth, demanded why he couldn't do anything about Zero Reverse when it happened.

Alone, and still grieving so much loss, the man did what he could to stay out of the media so his son won't be targeted and dragged into this whole mess. Ushio knew this because he happened to be one of the trusted few to know of this information, as well as the privilege to visit and check on the Mutou residence now and then when certain dangers in the dueling world threatened the city.

'_If there's one person who can keep those three in line, it is Yuugi Mutou. I know I shouldn't risk his safety just to do this, but if he's willing to go through with this, I'll beef up security around their house. It's the best thing I can do, for now.'_

Although he didn't show he was in doubt, but Ushio hoped that he was doing the right thing.

=3=

Yusei showed up back at Sector Security HQ just in time to see the place in chaos. Well, not in total chaos as it was that one time he, Bruno and Sherry showed up sniffing out trouble. But the fact Ushio was yelling at some of his co-workers, Mikage trying to calm everyone down, and a short middle aged man – who looked surprisingly similar to Atemu – was impatiently demanding what was going on, well. The place was in chaos.

The lead Signer had received a call from Ushio that Jack was being released, and the charges against him were dropped. Confused and not sure if this was really happening, Yusei came to the building as Ushio had instructed. Crow was going around giving deliveries, so he couldn't come with him. Aki is spending some time with her parents, reassuring them that everything turned out all right. The twins weren't able to come, either.

And now here he stood, watching as the chaos unfolds. Yusei didn't know if he should step in and calm everything down. If he didn't know half of these people already, he'd find this moment rather funny. It's not every day you see Ushio this worked up.

"What the hell do you mean Pharos fainted some ten minutes ago? Why wasn't I informed of any of this?" The scarred man yelled at the unfortunate officer who delivered the news.

"We didn't know until you told us to get him for Mutou–sama to see him! The other two in his team had been freaking out and told us that he fainted about ten minutes ago." The officer cowered a little.

"Freaking out? Freaking. Out. Those two are the worst trouble makers in the world! If they were freaking out, why wasn't anyone around to hear them so they could investigate what was going on and then informing what had transpired _ten minutes ago!_"

"Ushio–san, calm down–" Mikage started.

"No! I will not calm down!"

"Can everyone please stop shouting? We can hear ya all the way downstairs!" A new, familiar voice yelled at the top of his lungs, effectively silencing the room.

Everyone turned to see an irritated Jack Atlas (when isn't he irritated?), followed by Bakura and Seto. The latter was carrying an unconscious Atemu wrapped in Seto's coat. Upon seeing a growing crowd, Seto and Bakura paused. The brunette went still as a statue when his eyes met the middle aged stranger.

"May I inquire as to why Yuugi Mutou is here, just as we're being released?" Seto said so coldly everyone felt chills up and down their spines.

"Funny you should ask that. I'm not about to let you three out into the city without at least someone who could keep you guys in line. So, here's my proposition. You guys will be released into his care, and we'll drop all charges and stop our search for those missing files you stole." Ushio laid out the cards. Everything was in his favor.

It was clear in Seto's reaction the brunette didn't like this.

"You have no idea what you're doing!" Seto started.

"Seto, we don't have a choice. We need to do something about the tainted darkness flowing in his body!" Bakura hissed.

"Tainted darkness?" Yusei echoed, now growing concerned.

"Even someone in your position must know that you have no choice, Seto. What's wrong with him? I want to help, so please allow me to take the three of you in." The middle aged man pleaded.

Yusei did a double take. This man is Yuugi Mutou?

He was indeed short. The top of his head probably came up to Yusei's chin. His trademark wild hair was held down by a black bandana. His hair wasn't completely covered by the bandana as his blond bangs framed an innocently young face for his age. Round, purple eyes were staring at the unconscious Egyptian in awe and, if Yusei had to guess, relief.

'_What is he so relieved about?'_ The lead Signer briefly wondered.

"Wait – wait, you're _the_ King of Games?" Jack blinked several times.

"And you must be Turbo Duelist Champion Jack Atlas. I see Yusei Fudo is here, too." Yuugi glanced over at the leader of Team 5Ds direction. "I don't mean to be rude, but I'm concerned for Atemu."

"He is going to be fine, so long as we can simply leave without dragging the Mutou family into this mess. It's enough trouble you brought the Singers into this!" Seto motioned to Jack.

"Excuse me? But we were supposed to go around in pairs! I followed you because I don't like you!"

"The feeling is mutual, Atlas." The brunette hissed.

"Glad we understand each other, then!" Jack hmphed.

"Guys, I don't want a fight. So would you boys calm down already? And if the Signers are dragged into this mess as you say, then what do you guys know of Atemu and his…companions?" Yuugi turned to the leader of Team 5Ds.

There was a hesitation there, as if the King of Games was carefully choosing the right word to use of Atemu's teammates. Why was Yuugi hesitant?

"We don't know much about them. They were supposed to tell us what they are and why they're here when Atemu has recovered from his two week confinement by the Holy Priests." Yusei answered truthfully.

The King of Games flinched. Intense amethyst eyes glared at Seto. "He was kidnapped by the Holy Priests?"

"…Yes."

"For two weeks."

"….Yes…"

"Well, that explains what Ra was doing in the middle of the sky. I want to know exactly how Atemu got himself kidnapped by those people. But that will be later. Right now I want to help him. In order for you three to get out of here safely is through me. Unless you'd rather I'll just take Atemu and leave the rest of you here?"

Seto's cold blue eyes narrowed.

"You wouldn't _dare_."

"With that attitude? I'll have no problem doing just that." Yuugi held his ground.

If this was the old west, it would be the ultimate stand down. Yusei could almost feel the intensity rising in the air.

"…Seto. Just bite the bullet and agree to this. We're in no position to do anything. They've got us cornered. And, if we're going to be allies with the Signers, we can't give them any more reason they should turn us away." Bakura shifted his weight uncomfortably.

Seto nearly flinched. What the Thief King said was true. Jack was already suspicious of them. It would only be a matter of time before the others start listening to what the blond was saying. The last thing they needed was the Signers starting to turn their backs on them. This was a delicate matter of an alliance that could turn bitter.

'_Here I thought I've left all of that from my days as CEO…'_ Seto silently cursed.

"First, I ask this. What made you people contact the Mutou family and tell them about us?"

"I noticed a paper from the Missing Persons board. It has Atemu's face on it. The information goes as:

Name: Yami Mutou

Age: 16

Date of Disappearance: June 16, 2011

"Wait, did I hear that right? He disappeared the day_ before_ Zero Reverse happened?" Jack interrupted.

"It is true. That was the day he stopped coming by for a visit. That very same day we found his phone, with a note that said, 'I'm sorry'. The next day Zero Reverse happened, and we couldn't do a formal search for him since Sector Security was too busy trying to calm down the entire city from mass hysteria." Yuugi lowered his gaze to the floor. "Many assumed he died along with the other victims Zero Reverse took..."

"And I thought it was strange, how these two could be so much alike. Then it came to me that these two weren't separate individuals. If it was that complicated, I thought I might as well call in the expert who filed the missing report. And as Mikage pointed out to me earlier, if you guys are here to help the Signers, then at least you guys can have some help sorting out matters." Ushio added.

Seto cursed loudly in Egyptian. He was so angry he almost dropped Atemu to the floor. The brunette tightened his grip on the small body, biting the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from looking like a fool. Seto was furious. And there was nothing he could do about it when the person he was angry at was currently unavailable to talk.

"He…he was here. He was here, in Domino City, just before Zero Reverse?" Bakura's scowl deepened.

"Yes, he was. There's a story behind that. And, I'm sorry, but I can't explain that story here. It's rather a long and complicated one. Also, this may concern Yusei Fudo."

"Say what? How is he a part of this? He was only a baby at the time!" Jack bellowed.

Both priest and thief bristled. The lead Signer stared at the King of Games with a mix of shock and disbelief. How does this concern him? He was only an infant at the time. Yusei could tell Yuugi Mutou wasn't lying. But he still had to make sure he's not going crazy and hearing things.

"What do I have to do with this?"

"Well…it's complicated. It's something more to do with your father. If you're willing to trust me, then I'll tell you. I invite you to my house, for dinner. Anytime you want to take the offer, contact me. In fact, I have a better idea…"

Yuugi looked up at Seto. His expression lessoned to a gentleness one would expect from a father explaining something dangerously complicated to his child.

"I have a better proposition. Since the Signers know nothing about your background, how about I explain everything to them? It will save you a lot of trouble. And as the King of Games, they will trust my word over yours. In return, you guys are expected to be on your best behaviors as you will live under my roof. Also, when I am done explaining to the Signers about our history and the story of Atemu being in my care twenty years ago, either one of you has to explain why the three of you are still walking amongst the living."

Seto appeared to be contemplating this. He glanced down at his still unconscious leader in his arms.

They were backed into a corner. Seto didn't have a choice in this matter.

"…Fine. As second in command of this team, I accept your offer."

Despite the serious tone, Yuugi Mutou practically beamed.

=3=

Against the better judgment of his friends, especially Jack's, Yusei followed Yuugi to his home. Jack being the paranoid, stubborn man he was, grumpily came along too. The two Signers were welcomed warmly by Yuugi, while the two Egyptians completely ignored them. It was understandable, considering what they've just learned.

'_So it would seem that Atemu can't age. That's the only thing that makes sense about all of this. And if he can't age, then the other two would be the same. But, why are they so angry that he was here, around the time of Zero Reverse?'_ Yusei was puzzled.

Apparently Jack had the same train of thought, but was a little less polite about it.

"So, if he was in town around the time of Zero Reverse, wouldn't he have the power to stop it?"

"_Jack!_"

Before Yusei could scold his lover any further, Seto transferred Atemu into Bakura's arms and turned around to face the blond.

"You want to know? It's because we have no right to interfere with events that will help shape the future of the new generation of heroes who are supposed to protect the world! Think, if he interfered with Zero Reverse, you two wouldn't be spending happy nights in bed together."

Seto inhaled deeply, calming down.

"It is not our duty to interfere with such events. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to work with getting the poison those damn Holy Priests pumped through Atemu's body out of him."

The brunette then gathered his leader back into his arms and then proceeding to walk up the stairs.

"Right, while he does that, anyone up to some tea? Coffee? If you two are fine with staying until dinner my daughter in law will be home soon. She's the best cook in the house!" Yuugi nervously offered, obviously worried about Atemu's welfare.

"Please, Mutou–san, you don't have to force yourself." Yusei smiled. "But coffee would be nice."

"If it's as good as the Blue Eyes Café, then I'll have some too." Jack grumbled.

'_He still holds grudges. I hope he'll remain on his best behavior here. We are guests of _the_ King of Games.'_

Yuugi blinked. The tension left his shoulders as he returned a smile of his own.

"Oh, please, call me Yuugi. I'm not _that_ old. There's still a duelist inside of me somewhere, I just haven't had the time to brush off the dust that's been collecting on my deck."

"As you wish, Yuugi–san."

For someone with such a high title, he's so humble. He wasn't as bad as Yusei feared. Then again, he's the current champion. Yusei wasn't a show off, like Jack did.

Yuugi tentatively glanced at Bakura, who had silently taken up residence in a chair in the corner.

"What about you? Would you like anything…?"

"Oh, please. You can stop pretending to be a good host towards little old me. Honestly, I don't deserve such kindness from the pharaoh's hikari." Bakura hissed bitterly.

'_There's that word again, pharaoh. And how is Yuugi a part of all of this, anyway?'_

"May I ask…what's a pharaoh?"

Bakura and Yuugi had different reactions. The white haired Egyptian tensed, eyeing Yusei with suspicion. The former King of Games had an expression of surprise.

"Right…I keep forgetting your world is mostly of Neo Domino and Satellite. Well…if you would please sit, I'll make you guys some coffee. Then I will tell you. And while we're at it, I might as well get started on telling you two about a once nameless king."

Jack blinked, growing curious. "Nameless king?"

"Would that be Atemu?" Yusei guessed.

Yuugi had a distant look in his eyes. His smile was sad, very similar to Atemu's own.

"Yes, you could say that… Mind you, I advise you two keep an open mind about this. This story is very long and complicated. It even took me a long time to finally understand all of Atemu's past. Do me a favor, what you will learn may change your views on these three. You may not like some of the stuff I'm about to tell you. So please, please don't take it out on them. I get the feeling they don't need the Signers hunting them down. And if you guys are to do that, I'm afraid I won't be of any help to you. I would most likely help them escape Neo Domino City."

At his words, Bakura stared at Yuugi with surprise. A part of him knew he shouldn't be this shocked, but the fact Yuugi Mutou was defending the Three Noblemen Team was still something that never crossed his mind. After all he had done to the little hikari, Bakura had expected bitter anger heading his way.

"…Why are you doing this?" The white haired Egyptian spoke softer than his usual dark tone.

"You mean, why am I going to such lengths to protect all three of you? Isn't it obvious, Bakura? As much as I don't like you, I can't blame you for what you've done."

Bakura's eyes narrowed. "You're too soft,_ little_ Yuugi."

The King of Games glared.

"Soft I may be, but there _is_ a reason why you're here instead of wandering the Shadow Realm, am I right? Whether I like it or not, you're a part of Atemu's team. And thus far, you seem to be a better person than what you once were. But right now, I can't completely trust you. For that, I'll have to wait until he wakes up and watch your interactions."

"Hmph. Whatever." Bakura looked away.

Yusei, who had silently watched this strange exchange between them, was starting to believe that Bakura was indeed someone very dangerous. And from the vibes Yuugi was giving off, the white haired Egyptian may have been a villain. In the back of his mind it was another likeness between Bakura and Kiryu that the lead Signer found a little disturbing.

'_This is a serious matter. But I don't plan to have Atemu and his team our enemies. It'll be even worse with Yuugi joining their side. And whatever bond Yuugi has with Atemu, it's strong. Their bond is probably stronger than what I have with everyone else in my team.'_ Yusei warily eyed Jack.

The blond caught his eye. His permanent scowl softened. Yusei knew that expression. It was Jack's way of ensuring he'll at least try not to be too quick to judge. So long as he was going to try, it was enough for the lead Signer.

"All right, but if you wouldn't mind, I'd like for the others to be here too."

"That's fine with me." Yuugi's sad smile widened a bit. "Friends are the greatest treasure. It is not something to take lightly. And it might be best if everyone is here, so all of you could listen."

Somehow Yusei got the sinking feeling that, for better or for worse, his world is about to be turned upside down.

=3=

Death: Yes, I should probably had planned this a little better now that I've realized the timeline is indeed, important in this story. And so, to determine when Zero Reverse is supposed to happen, I did some research concerning how old each and every important character in 5Ds. It's come to my attention not all of the older Signers (mind you, I'm talking about everyone but the twins), were born within the same year. Yes, there is no exact date of when they're born, but they're all different ages varying from a year or two apart.

So, I decided to have some fun and give them a birthday. To do this properly, I took a look at their personalities and chose what zodiac sign would work best with them. From there, I can work with the exact month and date of their birthdays. I was too lazy to look up numbers for this, so I chose the dates of when they were born at random, but so long as it was within the months of the zodiac sign I chose, it would work. So, these are the results:

**Jack Atlas**

Zodiac Sign: Aeris

Birthday: March 21, 2009

I chose Aeris simply because Jack, both original and english dub versions, is impulsive. And at times, he his naive. Especially when concerning how to interact socially. Why do you think he got fired so many times when he applid for a job? Yes, it's funny, but the poor guy just doesn't know anything about keeping in control. I admit, he has some, but it's hard for him to have complete control over his emotions. This is why he doesn't think properly when he needs to create a plan. I suppose this explains why he has to learn everything the hard way.

**Kiryu**

Zodiac Sign: Cancer

Birthday: July 7, 2009

What is there to say? Kiryu (aka Kalin for those who only watch the english dub), is very complicated. He's friendly when he was the leader of Team Satisfaction, then the power of controlling Satellite got to his head, and was sentenced to jail. Then he becomes a Dark Signer, his target Yusei Fudo. Then when the Dark Signer Arc was over, Kiryu is a better person. At first. He then becomes suicidal, and is only brought out of this stupid way of thinking when Yusei, once again, shows him the right path. By god, Kiryu is more complicated than Zuko from _Avatar: The Last Airbender_...

**Yusei Fudo**

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Birthday: October 26, 2010

...I had trouble with deciding what zodiac sign works best for this guy. I had trouble choosing from Taurus and Scorpio, for very good reasons. Yusei is stubborn, determined, and nothing anyone could say would make him change his mind. Well, most of the time. But, he does choose who will be close enough to be considered his friend. For everyone else, he listens, but he keeps himself distant. That's a Taurus. But at the same time, he's wise, and he often has answers for everything. When he doesn't have the answer, he sits down and mulls over what the answer is until he does find it. He also has the very bad habit of not expressing his real feelings. He doesn't want to drag his friends into his own personal problems. This is when Jack and Crow come and handy and knock some sense into the angsty team leader. So, even though I like the idea of Yusei as kin (I am a taurus), I thought Scorpio would be better off. I'm more expressive than this guy, and that says a lot.

**Crow Hogan**

Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

Birthday: February 2, 2011

Let's see, Crow can't help but help people. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, it makes him appear much more responsible than some of the other characters. Yes, Yusei is responsible, but he doesn't take good care of himself (sleeping at the desk while working on his duel runner is over working). So, when Yusei is an insomniac, and Jack just sits around and does nothing but drink tea all day, Crow willingly (and perhaps because he knows no one else will do this) becomes the mother hen of the three. Crow might be a what you call "goody two shoes", but he's unique. In a good way. So even though he likes to help others, his uniquenss makes up for that. His duel runner can fly. His deck theme are of winged birds. He's not afraid to do the right thing. He's not afraid of getting all over Jack's case to get him off his ass and go find a job. At times he even tells Yusei, the team leader, that he needs to relax from time to time. If you think of Crow this way, he's not so annoying as Joey can often be, since it's obvious Crow is the Joey Wheeler of the 5Ds generation.

**Aki Izayoi**

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Birthday: September 14, 2012

At the very beginning Aki has self confidence issues. Very serious self confidence issues. Which is understandable, if I were in her shoes. But still, she didn't want to believe her powers were a gift instead of a curse. Because of that she was very narrow minded. Which happens to be the bad side of a Virgo. But, once Yusei showed her the way (is it just me, or does Yusei happen to be the best thing that has happened with everyone here?), she became more confident within herself. With this amazing transformation, she became a better person. Also, as noted later in life that she becomes a doctor, Virgos are often within that category of jobs. I thought it would fit with her.

**Rua and Ruka**

Zodiac Signs: Gemini

Birthday: May 22, 2017

I think the fact that they're twins, it should be obvious as to why they're Gemini. However, if they weren't twins, then Rua would be Leo (ironic, his english dub name is Leo) and Ruka would be Pisces. Rua is very energetic, he wants more than anything to be a champion duelst, and blindly admires any great duelist without question. Ruka is shy, but she wishes to connect with everyone and the world around her. She is also gifted with the ability to visit the Spirit Realm, or Spirit World, whichever you call it. She can even talk to monsters! A very handy ability, mind you. And since they are twins, I couldn't chose between Leo and Pisces, since one twin completes one but not the other. So, I just went with the obvious and chose Gemini.

Death: So, there. I got these guys down. I'm sad to say I won't be doing this with the important original characters. I'm sorry, but there would be an overlap between Atemu and Yusei, Seto and Jack, Bakura and Kiryu, Yuugi and Crow, and Joey and Rua (if he was a Leo, I mean). Yeah, it wouldn't work. And I've spent too much time deciding what these guys from 5Ds are.

I am sorry for this long A/N, but there's a few other things I'd like to point out. At the end of the series, it was noted that they actually allow the character of 5Ds to age, since Yusei was 19 or 20 during the WRGP. I'm just going to go ahead with 20, and so the year that this story is taking place would be early to mid spring of 2031. So, Yusei is still 20, while Jack just celebrated his 21rst birthday. Yays for drinking age. Meanwhile, Zero Reverse occured somewhere between the times of Crow's and Aki's births. Since Crow was the one who was orphaned and Aki not so, I came to the conclusion that Zero Reverse could have happened in the year 2011 or earlly 2012. Considering what I've just given away in this chapter, I think it's safe to say that you guys can figure out what date I chose for this important event of mass destruction occured.

So, without further ado, and I do apologize for this long A/N, please click the lovely review button and tell me what you think.


	10. The Nameless Pharaoh

Death: College life is very busy. I thank everyone who has been patient with me and continue to support this story. I made this chapter long and added a few twists and turns I've been waiting patiently for the story to come to this point. Hope you all enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I am simply abusing the characters to develope my own amusements and plots for your entertainment.

**Chapter 10** – The Nameless Pharaoh

=3=

Although his friends couldn't come at first, they flooded into the Mutou house as soon as word went around the King of Games had invited them for dinner. To show their appreciation, all of them arrived with food to add to the table. Aki brought her mother's pasta with the family's secret sauce. Crow happily delivered spicy chicken with fried rice and vegetables made by Martha, to 'put some meat on you boys', he quoted. Not too long after the twins were dropped off carrying a fruit salad between them, Yuugi's son and daughter in law came home from work.

Yuichi Mutou stood at least an inch or two taller than his father. He had the same star shaped hair, but instead of black trimmed violet, he had rich brown. There were no lightning streaks yet his bangs were the same as Yuugi's, even blond if a bit more white blond than platinum gold. His eyes were narrower with a little roundness to show he truly was Yuugi's son. To top it off Yuichi had the same gentle violet eye color.

The moment he came inside Yuichi greeted with a wide smile as he took off his shoes and white coat. Yusei couldn't tear his gaze away from the white coat, silently wondering if the younger Mutou was a scientist or a doctor of some sort.

His puzzlement must have shown in his face, for Yuichi smiled at him.

"I'm a doctor at the main hospital. I work with children fighting cancer or disabilities."

Yusei stared wide eyed at the slightly older male in surprise. For this man being the son of the King of Games, he was as humble as his father. Yuugi raised money to give back to those who needed it most, while his son became a doctor and personally helped those under the programs his father funded.

"You both have such kind hearts. I wish there are more of you in this world." Yusei said somberly.

Both father and son smiled warmly from the unexpected compliment.

"If there are people like you, Yusei, then there is hope." Yuugi pointed out. Then he turned to his son. "Where is Tiye?"

Behind him, Yusei heard shuffling. The lead Signer turned to see Bakura eyeing Yuichi, eyes narrowed with both curiosity and weariness. Why would he react to a name of someone he's never met before?

The answer came when a woman burst through the front door.

"Hello everyone! Wow, you weren't kidding about the number of guests. It's been too long since we've had this many people over. Oh, I smell something really good."

The woman had features that reminded Yusei of Atemu and his group, so he guessed this woman had Egyptian origins. Her mocha skin was lighter than Atemu's, yet both shared a high forehead to fit a crown. Even their eyes were similar in shape. Tiye's were more defined by a mix of kohl and eye shadow, a combination she pulled off well. This strange mix of ancient and modern intelligently brought out her pale blue eyes, which were a drastic contrast compared to her dark hair and tanned body.

She was about the same height as her husband, her dark hair cascading down to the middle of her back. Tiye was thin and full of curves, save for the little round bump in her stomach she revealed when she hung up her jacket.

Aki, who had been glaring at Bakura and had remained quiet each and every moment Atemu was brought up, seemed to brighten at the sight of Yuugi's daughter in law.

"How far along are you?" The redhead politely asked.

Tiye took her husband's hand, smiling at each other lovingly.

"I'm close to three months."

Congratulations echoed around the couple, as Yuugi introduced everyone to his family and vice versa. Yusei was the only one who stood back, feeling a little awkward of the ordeal. He was not a social person by heart, and there was always time for him to give the happy couple his own blessings.

He turned and spotted Bakura, still in his chair, staring at the Mutou family with wonder.

Taking a deep breath, Yusei went over and sat in a chair about two feet away from the white haired Egyptian. Bakura didn't notice him until he heard the chair closest to him move against the wooden floor. His hard gaze fell upon the lead Signer, filled with suspicion.

"Why have you graced me with your presence, Star Child?" Bakura hissed.

Yusei simply shrugged. "You looked lonely."

Surprise rippled across the thief's face. Yusei inwardly smiled.

'_Bet he's not used to people other than Atemu treating him like a human being.'_ The lead Signer concluded.

Bakura's scarred face hardened once more, about to reply with an insult of some sort when Yuichi and Tiye saw the man in the corner for the first time.

"That scar…dad, is he the Thief King Bakura?"

All eyes turned at the pair a little ways away. Yusei lowered his gaze, not daring to turn and see the furious expression across Bakura's face.

Yuugi bit his lower lip nervously before answering.

"Yes. He is. Atemu and Seto are also here, but they're upstairs. We can't see them right now, apparently Atemu is poisoned. Seto is doing everything he can to help him."

Yuichi turned to stare unbelievingly at his father.

"Is Atemu the same as we last saw him?"

The former King of Games nodded gravely.

"Atemu is poisoned? If only mother were here…her knowledge would greatly improve his condition." Tiye worriedly frowned.

"And just who is your mother, one who is named after the mother of the Heretic King, Pharaoh Akhenaton?" Bakura's voice dripped with venom, intentionally insulting the pregnant woman.

The Mutou family tensed at the harsh words. Yuugi opened his mouth to reprimand the thief, when Tiye defended beat him to it.

"I am Tiye Mutou, daughter of Ishizu Ishtar, chosen by the Sennen Tauk to help the Nameless Pharaoh on his journey into the afterlife. If you so much as dare insult me or my mother again, I will see to it you will be sliced and left for the crows to pick your bones."

Bakura snorted. For someone who cannot die, Tiye was a minor threat.

Not knowing this, Tiye wanted to say more until the thief would know she was serious.

"So, who's up for dinner?" Yusei purposefully intervened.

All eyes were on him, and Yusei did his best not to falter under their scrutinizing. Ruka bravely stepped forward.

"Let's all eat. We're all here to listen to the story of the Nameless Pharaoh."

"Yeah! The sooner we finish dinner, the sooner we get to know everything about Atemu!" Rua added with his endless amount of enthusiasm.

"You're just excited to eat in the house of Yuugi Mutou." Ruka teased, rolling her eyes.

"Wouldn't you? He's the King of Games! Who _wouldn't_ be excited?"

Soon the atmosphere lightened up as everyone readied the table, reheating the chicken and pasta. Everyone was divided into two groups: one to set up the table, even adding another table to the main table so everyone could fit comfortably, while the second worked in the kitchen reheating or making quick and easy appetizers.

Yusei was helping with the table, gathering chairs and placed them at the large tables. At some point when he was alone with picking the last chair while the others began to set plates and utensils, Yuugi tapped his shoulder. Yusei blinked in surprise at the former King of Games, someone he had admired in his young childhood.

To this day, Yuugi Mutou was still admired, if almost completely forgotten from the world that once worshipped him.

"Yes, Yuugi–san? What did you need?"

"You protected Bakura from the wrath of my daughter in law, when no one else would. Why?"

The lead Signer was caught off guard by this question. He had only done what he did because it was the right thing to do, whether he was defending the Thief King or not. In addition, he knew that if Tiye had continued to spite Bakura he would eventually lash out. He did not want such a thing to happen inside the Mutou Mansion, let alone witness him viciously attack a pregnant woman when it can be prevented.

"He's already cornered. And, without Atemu around there's no one else who will step forward and calm everyone down before Bakura is pushed too much. I may not trust him, but I believe he is trying to amend whatever he's done in the past. The fact he and Atemu are deeply close to each other is proof enough."

Yuugi blinked. He seemed completely surprised by this sort of news. "How close?"

Yusei turned away to hide the blush in his cheeks. Truth was he still didn't understand why those two were such close lovers when they were total opposites. Opposites do attract, he and Jack were good examples of such, but at times Yusei felt that the Egyptian pair was just too much opposite.

After a few moments, the former King of Games gravely nodded and didn't press the matter further.

"I see. So you have seen them interact? All three of them?"

Yusei nodded. "For the most part, Atemu has to be the one who gives Bakura permission for certain things. When Seto is unhappy about something, mainly Bakura, he directly challenges Atemu's authority. He never backs away from Seto's outrage. And once everything has calmed down Atemu continues on as if nothing had happened."

At his words, Yuugi laughed heartily, completely forgetting the somber thoughts a few minutes ago.

"Sounds like Atemu and Seto haven't changed at all. I remember the days we had to literally knock some sense into Seto when the time called for it. On multiple occasions we had to do it, actually. At one point we got too tired of him and just accepted him the way he was."

"So what about Bakura?" Yusei blurted.

"Well…" Yuugi hesitated. "He's changed a lot, that I can see. I don't know how Atemu helped him, but whatever he did made a huge improvement. But after everything he's done, how he hunted us down, hurt my friends, threatened to destroy the world multiple times, I don't think I can ever trust him."

There was bitterness in the former King of Games' voice, the kind one would call vengeance. Yet the sad expression across Yuugi's face told Yusei he didn't fully blame Bakura. Fate had chosen his path, which Yusei guessed was a dark and violent one. Now the hand of Fate was giving Bakura a second chance, a chance for happiness.

Atemu still had a long way to go.

"I forgive him. Please don't tell him, but I do forgive him. The time will come whether he deserves it or not."

Yusei nodded in understanding. Since the day he had met Bakura, he always thought the Egyptian had a likeness to Kiryu. But now with a few hints from Yuugi what kind of person Bakura used to be, Yusei was now beginning to think it's the other way around.

"Anyway, what you did earlier, I am glad to see someone doing the right thing. And although he may not mention or like it, Bakura is in your debt. I don't think he'll do anything to jeopardize everyone's safety, but he will somehow repay you. I get the feeling he is not one to have a debt hanging over his head."

The lead signer blinked in surprise. He was about to say he didn't want Bakura to repay him, but the former King of Games was already making his way back towards the kitchen to check how dinner was going. With a shrug, Yusei picked up the chair and carried it towards the table.

Dinner was pleasant, as everyone asked the Mutou family questions. How long were Yuichi and Tiye married? Why did Yuichi decide to become a doctor? Why didn't he follow his father's footsteps into the dueling world? How did Yuichi and his wife meet and where?

Yusei didn't pay too much attention to the conversations much. Sitting to his right was Jack, who glared at Yusei's other neighbor, but otherwise didn't raise an insult and joined in the conversation when something caught his attention.

To his left sat a quiet and very nervous Bakura. They were sitting at one end of the table, and across them was Yuugi with an empty spot for Seto if he ever comes downstairs. From the corner of his eye Yusei could see the Egyptian shifting uncomfortably, avoiding everyone's eye as he silently ate his food.

At first no one knew how to respond when Bakura chose to sit next to Yusei. The lead Signer was too surprised to do or say anything. When the chatter began to grow and almost everyone ignoring the so called Thief King, Yusei put his mind at ease. If what Yuugi said was true about Bakura, he didn't want to increase the thief's debt. He didn't want anything to be more uneasy between Bakura and everyone else.

When dinner was finished, a few taking to dessert while others took to cleaning the plates, Seto came down to join them.

"You look tired." Yuugi said as he examined the exhausted brunette.

"Just give me some food and I'll be well. And Atemu is past the critical point. He's resting now." Seto sighed as he leaned back in his chair.

Yusei, who was done doing his part with cleaning the dishes, sat back in his seat.

"What did the High Priests do to him?" The lead Signer questioned.

"They poured almost every kind of poison and tainted darkness into his body." Seto warily eyed Bakura, before speaking in the language no one has heard of for thousands of years.

"_They almost successfully restored the Master of Shadows within his soul."_

Bakura tensed, eyes narrowed at the former high priest with horror.

"_You prevented him from being reborn, right?"_

Seto looked away.

"_Seto!_ Did you or did you prevent that _thing_ from coming back, or not?" The thief demanded loudly. All eyes nearby turned to him and the brunette.

"What thing? What are you guys arguing about?" Yuugi frowned.

"Stay out of this midget!" Bakura snapped.

"Excuse me, but this is my house. You two agreed to come under my terms, and I will not allow any danger near the Signers or my family. And do not forget Atemu is my other half." The King of Games was firm, not too harsh, but enough to get his point across.

The thief cursed. He glared daggers at the elder Mutou. Yusei could read that Bakura wanted nothing more than to skin Yuugi alive. The air became tense, almost choking anyone who was too close.

Yusei turned to Seto, his expression was of sheer determination. Seto almost did a double take, for it was the same expression when Atemu had found new hope when all seemed lost. The likeness this Star Child had with one of Egypt's greatest pharaohs in history was so striking, Seto would have thought Yusei was born similar to Atemu in soul and strength on purpose.

"Whatever you have said to him," Yusei motioned to the thief with his eyes before returning to stare straight into Seto's cold ones. "Can be said to the rest of us. We want no lies when it comes down to you and your team. I want to know everything about you three, what you have in common with a Nameless King, and why Yuugi Mutou is somehow mixed in all of this."

"And if we hide a few secrets?" Seto raised an elegant brow.

"Then consider us enemies." Yusei boldly declared. His voice was firm, his gaze hard as they stared at the powerful brunette across the table. There were many gasps and wide eyed stares at the lead Signer.

He knew what he was saying would be dangerous, and everything could fall apart, but Yusei wanted nothing more than to show he was dead serious.

It was a gamble he would have to play with.

"Remember what Atemu said, that he saw a vision about the Egyptian Gods and the Crimson Dragon working together? What would happen if it's because of your foolishness that it would never come true and the world would end? Do you know how heavy a burden it is to protect the entire world and ultimately the universe?"

Yusei did not know why he was saying all of these things. Yet the image of Atemu's expression back when Ushio had apprehended the Egyptian team haunted him. Deep down Yusei knew that in order to bring the world to peace Atemu had to play a major role.

If Yusei was not firm now at this moment with Seto, then he would have lost the chance of having Atemu and his group as allies. As someone who had carried the burden of protecting the people of Satellite and Neo Domino City on his shoulders Yusei would not allow the door of hope close before the Holy Priests strike again.

"I know perfectly well how heavy it is to carry on such a burden. But what makes you think we have to share it?" Seto coldly replied.

"You do realize that by rejecting the reality of the situation, you will eventually either be cast out or find yourself abandoned by Atemu, right?" Yusei threw back.

"What gives you the right to know what he might or will do?" The brunette was starting to lose patience. Seto was almost shouting as he stood up to stare down at the lead Signer.

Yusei also stood, never one to back down. The Star Child was in protective mode. Whether he was attempting to protect Atemu or the universe, it did not matter to him right now. Right now he had to set things straight with Seto _now_.

"Because I at least understand him well enough that I'm not causing some additional stress and supporting him, unlike _you_. You know, every time we meet you confuse me. What you say contradicts your actions, and vice versa. And each time you challenge Atemu, you distract him from the big picture. I'm even starting to think you're doing this on purpose to drive him insane."

The brunette's eye twitched, the only warning before he slammed both fists on the table between them. Bakura shot up from his seat, shoulders hunched as if he was ready to attack if needed be.

"You dare accuse _me_ you little –"

"_ENOUGH_!"

All eyes turned to the former King of Games in shock. Who knew the little man had such lungs? Yuugi breathed in deeply to calm himself. Then he gave a hard stare at the former high priest, nearly making him flinch.

"What Yusei said is true. There _can't_ be secrets between all of us. Seto, think back on all the times you refused to help us, denying your past to the point it had to almost literally slap you in the face. What you're doing right now is basically the same thing, only you're refusing to accept help from the Signers. And from my understanding how your team works, it's not your call to make whether or not to allow the Signers in."

At the last sentence the brunette bristled. Seto took a few menacing steps towards Yuugi. Yusei quickly stepped between the advancing former priest and the King of Games, bravely glaring at Seto. His arm twitched while his fingers flexed to ignore the dull pain from the mark.

Seto stopped before Yusei, but he completely ignored the young man as he focused solely on Yuugi.

"Do you have any idea what we've been through? For the last several years, Atemu made the decision of going out in public as a team. Do you have any idea how hard it was to control our powers, to keep eyes on everyone around us, including ourselves?" At the last word Seto indicated towards Bakura.

"That damned thief has caused so much trouble for us, our secrets about who we really are were nearly revealed every damn time he does something stupid! But you know what, none of this would have ever happened if Atemu didn't choose to go public in the first place!" The brunette's hands clenched hard into fists, his arms shaking from all the pent up anger he had locked up tightly until now.

"I'm sick and tired of sitting back and observing what could be the very end of us, when what we should really be doing is observe the world and judge whether or not the current group who carry the world's safety on their shoulders need our help. That is supposed to be our _purpose_, but instead Atemu goes against that very rule just because some dragon of darkness came to him in a series of dreams, offering him help in return to help her. I don't even think she was telling the truth with all the times she took control of his body!"

At the mention of Nightshade Dragon, Aki flinched as the memory of her facing the dragon in a duel was still fresh in her mind. Ruka ran up to Seto, stomping her foot hard enough on the floor to grab his attention.

"Nightshade Dragon isn't evil! She cares, she cares about Atemu, and so she has to be good! Sure, she can be scary, but it's not like she wanted to be a dragon of the darkness in the first place!"

Surprised, either from the very notion of a small girl standing up to him or the idea of someone defending Nightshade at all, Seto couldn't form the words to say otherwise. It was enough of a pause for Yuugi to make his move.

"Seto, why don't you get yourself something to eat and head to any of the bedrooms upstairs?"

The brunette flashed a cold glare at the former King of Games. Yuugi wasn't done speaking, however.

"I was hoping you would be of great help to tell the Signers about the Nameless Pharaoh. But with your current attitude, I do not want any arguments to distract everyone from the story I have to give."

Blue eyes narrowed at what Yuugi was indicating. Funny, he never would have thought the King of Games grew a backbone without the presence of Atemu.

"So you're removing me from the equation to solve the problem." It wasn't a question.

"Well, that's one way to put it. But, yes. It is clear you are not in the right state of mind to be of any help to me."

Seto simply 'hmphed', and reluctantly headed towards the kitchen to grab a plate and whatever was left over. He only took some fried rice and a couple pieces of chicken, not even caring if they were cold or not. When he was done the brunette quietly walked up the stairs.

When the footsteps were gone Yuugi turned to Bakura.

"When I'm done telling them the stories of your past, and the short time Atemu was with me before Zero Reverse, you have to tell me what it was you and Seto were arguing about." By the look on Yuugi's face, it was clear the former thief king would not escape.

Bakura simply nodded, his thoughts currently elsewhere. Despite the fact it was obvious the thief king wasn't all there, it was enough for Yuugi to put the whole argument the past five minutes behind him.

"Let's all head to the living room. And remember what I warned you beforehand, all of you need an open mind in order to understand what I am about to tell you. Prepare yourselves for a very long and complicated story that should be something straight out of a mystery novel."

Yusei's stomach churned. From this moment on he knew his world would forever be turned upside down.

=3=

Just as Yuugi had warned, it was a long story of so many complications he was right to assume it should be straight out of a bestselling novel. As Yuugi foretold everything he felt important to tell, all of the Signers sat on the large couch and listened with great interest. Yuugi sat in a chair he pulled over from the dinner table, while his son and daughter in law shared a love seat, Yuichi's arms wrapped around his wife in a loving manner.

At first it was easy for the Signers to wrap their minds around how Yuugi met Atemu through the Sennen Puzzle, how a spirit of a five thousand year old pharaoh with no memories was locked up in the very object of his power.

It was understandable. The Signers were used to the unusual being in the norm. But when Yuugi began to foretell Atemu's struggle within the Millennium World, the conspiracies and the very fact Atemu really was a king in the past life began to sink in and blew the roof sky high. For Atemu to have the courage to face everything the gods threw at him, and stubborn enough to survive it all, Yusei felt he could fully respect and awe the former pharaoh. If he wore a hat, Atemu would be one of the few Yusei could tip his hat to.

And the more they heard of Thief King Bakura, a few of the Signers began to feel uncomfortable about the white haired Egyptian.

Even Yusei couldn't hide his worries. Now and then he caught himself staring at Bakura with a mix of fear and astonishment. Just how in the world did Atemu pull off taming the wild and unpredictable Thief King, his sole opponent for five thousand years?

Even more bizarre was Bakura's behavior throughout this whole ordeal. He would be silent as the grave, staring off into space with a somber expression across his face. Now and then Yuugi would request the former thief king to explain in better detail whatever a couple of Signers were confused at certain points. Bakura did as he was asked without complaint. He was patient when Jack would throw a few challenges; even going so far as insulting how the thief king handled situations he had done the numerous battles between him and the Nameless Pharaoh.

Bakura didn't even so much as flinch, let alone raising his voice or even defending himself from the accusations.

It was as if Bakura wasn't all there with them, complying to whatever he was asked while his mind retreated into a safe place. Yuugi seemed concerned over this odd behavior, but he couldn't voice his worries when he had to focus on telling the Signers Atemu's story and answering all questions as best he could.

When he was done describing the Ceremonial Battle, there was a few moments of silence as the whole story began to sink in. To Yusei, everything was starting to make sense as the pieces fell into place in his head.

'_As a former protector of mankind, it's no wonder why he was chosen to become a guardian. But why would he agree to all of this, when he was finally granted his peace in the afterlife?'_ Yusei didn't have time to ponder over the disturbed thoughts when Rua interrupted his train of thoughts.

"So what about the time Atemu was with you, you know, before Zero Reverse happened?"

Yuugi fondly smiled. But the lead Signer could still detect a hint of sadness in that smile.

"It was a sad time, when he was brought to us. You see, he was under the hands of a scientist who was trying to figure out why he couldn't age. After a long time of being experimented and abused, someone found out the scientist's secret." Yuugi turned to Yusei. "This is where you share a connection with Atemu. It was your father who found Atemu in the midst of an escape."

Surprise filled the lead Signer's head. The dream he had had the night before Ushio arrested the Three Noblemen Team resurfaced. Could the eyes he saw through in that dream, be Atemu's?

"So…you knew my father?" A huge part of him wanted, no _needed_ to ask this question. Aside from a photograph, and a chance meeting his father for a few seconds twice, he didn't really know much about the man who loved him so much he sacrificed himself to save his son.

Yuugi nodded, but it was his son who answered.

"He was a good man. I remember the times he would visit us, he would always sneak me a few pieces of candy when mom or dad weren't looking." Yuichi smiled fondly, earning a frown from his father.

"Is that how you got cavities? I've always wondered how when we kept a close eye on what you ate and when. But I guess this would also explain why you quickly grew fond of him."

'_So my father was always fond of children.'_ Yusei concluded with a warm feeling swelling up in his chest.

"What was my father like?" The lead Signer tentatively inquired, knowing they were straying off topic.

Yuugi didn't seem to mind, as his smile broadened.

"He was always a caring man. I've always wondered why he didn't pursue to become a counselor or a therapist. But it was clear that science was his passion. And he had a brilliant mind for it, might I add."

"What did he do when he found Atemu?" Ruka tilted her head.

"He found him wandering the halls of the science building within Kaiba Corp., scared and frightened of every noise that could be heard. He was found with blood splattered over his clothes. Later we found out he had murdered in order to escape when he saw the opportunity. Anyway, your father led Atemu to the main nurses' office, thinking there was an unforeseen wound that was the cause of all of the blood. Along the way, they ran into the scientist responsible for Atemu."

"Let me guess, the man was furious about his experiment escaping and in the hands of Doctor Fudo?" Jack crossed his arms.

Yuugi nodded. "By Atemu's behavior, Yusei's father, Hitoshi, guessed there was something wrong. The two scientists verbally fought, and it almost ended with fists when one of the Goodman brothers interfered, apparently in search to locate his colleague when he didn't show up on time."

"Long story short, Hitoshi and his colleagues sued the man who wrongfully experimented on Atemu. The head of the science department as well as the president of Kaiba Corp. backed Hitoshi up. The man was fired, and later went missing. It has been long assumed he was among the many who perished from Zero Reverse."

Yusei furrowed his eyebrows.

"You don't seem to believe that."

"No, I honestly don't. My instincts tell me he's still out there, vouching to get his hands on Atemu again. For all we know, he could very well be the leader of the Holy Priests."

"So what happened after that? He was brought to you, but why?" Aki seemed to have a growing interest of Atemu again.

"I heard of the strange drama going on in Kaiba Corp., but the public was never given any details of the poor soul Hitoshi found. He was the one who made the connection that Atemu, at the time he wouldn't speak so everyone called him Yami, due to his dark and sour mood, might be related to the Mutou family. Hitoshi contacted me and informed me about Atemu, which I immediately acted upon taking custody of him."

"I didn't have to fight very long to gain custody. Everyone who had eyes could see the resemblance, so they accepted my story of him being a long lost distant cousin without question." Yuugi lowered his gaze to the floor with a frown. "I knew that he would be different than the Atemu I knew, but I wasn't prepared for how deep the psychological trauma he had gone through."

"What do you mean?" Crow blinked. "I mean, looking at Atemu as he is right now, he seems to be the type to remain strong and stubborn. How bad of a shape was he in when he was brought to you?"

"Very bad. He wouldn't speak, he wouldn't eat, and worst of all he couldn't place his trust on anyone. I had to request a break from work to care for Atemu, for he was dangerous when left alone. He would cower in the corner or under tables, never coming out unless coaxed with food and many promises that we wouldn't harm him. When I wasn't around, he would not tolerate my wife. Each time she tried to help him he lashed out. She became so frightened of him she didn't want him staying in the house anymore."

"I remember that." Yuichi said. "He never seemed to take to mom. Atemu only allowed dad to help him. And sometimes he allowed me to interact with him when I played hide and seek from mom and hid with him."

"Yes, and through that he became protective of you. He would be so protective he wouldn't allow your mother to even so much as touch you. That was when he threatened to leave and taking you with her. So I had no choice but to look around for someone else to care for him. I would have looked after him myself, but I didn't have the time to show him that not everyone is evil."

There was a pause, an uncomfortable silence as everyone guessed who Yuugi contacted.

"You asked my father, didn't you?" Yusei was the first to brave the thoughts circling around them.

The former King of Games nodded. "This was four years before he met and married your mother. He was at the beginning of his career, so he was given a lot lenient time to himself. I chose him because he had helped Atemu before, and therefore I thought it should be enough for Atemu to put some trust in him."

"But why not any of your friends? Why couldn't they take up the job of looking after him?" Jack inquired with narrowed eyes.

"I couldn't drop Atemu to any of my friends to care for. Around them he would be a ticking time bomb. Also, all of my friends have a family and a life of their own. I couldn't take away their happiness by asking if they could take Atemu in. He needed special care, he needed someone who was living alone and ready to help him. Hitoshi Fudo was the only person who fit that description."

"But that didn't mean we didn't see him. We visited a lot, and when mom had enough of my pleading your father would babysit me. He would play video games with me while Atemu watched from the sidelines. We even brought him to a park once, and he seemed content to be around nature. So it became our favorite pastime." Yuichi informed.

"Yes. And gradually Atemu was brought out of his shell. He learned how to trust again. He couldn't be in a large crowd without feeling uncomfortable, but he no longer seemed afraid that everyone was out to get him. And when Hitoshi met your mother, Atemu happily blessed them, before moving out on his own in a small apartment."

"I remember their wedding. It was a happy event. I was even the ring bearer." Yuichi smiled as he recalled his once important role. "And guess who your father's best man was?"

Yusei blinked. "Was it Atemu?"

"Yep! We even have pictures. Say, dad, where is that album again? We should show Yusei those pictures."

"I believe they're in one of the hall closets." Yuugi answered with uncertainty.

"I'll find it. I think it might be in the one near the main floor bathroom." Yuichi stood, giving Yusei a last look. "And if you'd like, you can keep the photographs. I know how rare it is to find photographs of your father, especially when people judge too quickly and blame his research for the cause of Zero Reverse."

Not knowing how to respond, Yusei could only nod. The very thought of surviving wedding pictures of his parents was something he never dreamed of seeing. He watched the younger Mutou make his way towards the hallway near the stairs, the hallway that had the hall closet he thought that withheld the album he sought.

Just as Yuichi was about to round the corner he suddenly stops, blinking several times as if he couldn't believe what he saw. Propped against the wall stood a healthy, if incredibly tired, very awake former pharaoh.

"Atemu? How long have you been standing there?"

=3=

Death: Yep. Ended at a cliffe hanger. All of you should know by now how I work xD For I am known as the author who abuses cliffe hangers. Whether the story may be Death Note, Code Geass, or Inuyasha, none of my readers who read any of those stories only are safe from my torture XD

Anywho, we learn a bit about Yuugi's family. But, what happened to his wife? And, can any of you guess who is Yuichi's mother? It should be quite easy.

And I has revealed how Yusei's father is a part of this whole picture. But what does Atemu think, many of you would wonder?

The answer shall be in the next chapter!

...Whenever I update next. As of late, I've been reduced to write little snippets during my short breaks. It's rather hard when I have so many stories I need to update to keep all of you happy.

Anyways. Please click the lovely review button and tell me what you think~


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